Drayton Wiser Smart Thermostat Heating and Hot Water Control Kit – Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT
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App controlThe Wiser app takes your heating to the next level of smart. With winter on the way comfort is key. Save up to 50% on your energy usage and maximise comfort by controlling your heating and hot water on your phone. | Insights and Heat ReportInsights help you to make wiser decisions when it comes to controlling your home heating. The Heat Report lets you see exactly what your system is up to – anytime, anywhere. Helping you to save energy. | Energy savingsOver 80% of a home’s energy consumption is used for heating and hot water, so when it comes to heating your home, Wiser will have a big impact on your energy usage. Wiser smart heating controls could save you almost 50% on your energy usage. |
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Smart speaker compatible“Alexa, turn off the heating in the kitchen” Connect your Wiser Thermostat to Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant to enhance control and comfort. Use voice commands to check the status of rooms and make simple changes to your system. | IFTTT compatibleIFTTT automates your heating using geofencing, turning it off when all members of the household leave home, whether it’s for a day or for a fortnight. You’ll never need to think about turning the heating on or off again while you’re home’s empty, just sit back and enjoy saving more energy and money with Wiser. | Wiser smart modesFeel warm and cosy exactly when you want to be in Comfort Mode; let the system turn off the heating at the best time in Eco Mode; and instantly reduce all setpoints while you’re away to avoid over-heating an empty home, using Away Mode. |
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| Boiler Type | Combi | Conventional (boiler with separate hot water tank) | Combi or Conventional with two heating zones | Combi | Conventional (boiler with separate hot water tank) |
| Heating and Hot Water? | Heating control | Heating and hot water control | Heating and hot water control with two heating zones | Heating control | Heating and hot water control |
| Radiator Thermostats Included? | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Can I add Radiator Thermostats & Smart Plugs? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & IFTTT? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Energy Saving Smart Modes? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Easy to install? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight: | 400 g |
| Size: | Thermostat 2 Heating and Hot Water |
| Dimensions: | 7 x 9.3 x 15 cm; 400 Grams |
| Model: | WT724R9K0902 |
| Part: | WT724R9K0902 |
| Colour: | Sandstone Fabric |
| Pack Quantity: | 7 |
| Batteries Required: | Yes |
| Batteries Included: | Alkaline |
| Manufacture: | Drayton by Schneider Electric |
| Colour: | Sandstone Fabric |
| Quantity: | 7 |
| Size: | Thermostat 2 Heating and Hot Water |
Love the complete package of hub and room thermostat. I’ve already noticed an improvement in gas usage.
Easy to install and set up. Does just what was needed with the Wiser app.
Alexa not tried as don’t use it.
Simply love this product. I had been considering other brands but this was so easy to install. I wish I had bought one sooner. Connection to an existing Drayton wall plate, and within 30 mins can now control the heating through the intuitive app from anywhere or through Alexa
Love this. As valve is fully open, or fully closed, ensured a rapid warm up, or no heat at all, unlike tradional trv which open of close slowly
Had Danfoss controller which started to play up. Straight forward plug and play installation as both use same back plate. App is a bit slow but no complaint at all and sure beats trying to connect nest or hive.
Once installed, I set up the schedules for each room individually. On an old system, you set all radiators to switch off at a certain temperature, but if you have all radiators set to 20 degrees, for example, then if the temperature is 18 degrees, then obviously all radiators will switch on. With the Wiser Smart Heating system, you then go one step further by saying (for example). I want the bedroom and bathroom to come on between 6 and 8.30 at 20 degrees with all other radiators OFF. I want the office radiator to come on at 8am at 21 degrees, and the bedroom and bathroom to go off at 8.30. I want the office then to turn off at 5pm, but I want the lounge and hallway to come on at 4pm till 11pm. And I want the bedroom to come back on a 9pm. Stuff like that. It basically means that I am running 1 or 2 radiators all day (or until they reach the required temperature), whereas before I would have been running 10 all day. I can only assume that with the horrendous price increases in the UK for gas, this has made a huge difference. We have a reasonable sized 4 bedroom detached house, and after April, our monthly gas and electricity bill will rise from 100 per month to 130 per month. This is the lowest of anyone we know. We are on standard tariff as our supplier went bust, so we had to change supplier recently to a new one, and they had no fixed price deals going, so we ended up on standard which is one of the highest, and we have smart meters, so they know exactly how much we use. People we know in smaller houses than us are paying far more than us (in some cases more than double). I can only assume it is the Wiser system making the difference. But it makes sense, as having 2 radiators on instead of 10 is a big difference.
The only negative. The app needs some more thought and some work. It’s great at setting basic schedules, but they need to listen to customers more. I think it must have been designed by a developer. When I first had it, I gave them some feedback saying it is really good, but you should be able to have overrides to the regular schedule for specific dates (like on Microsoft calendars). E.g Aunt Ethel is coming to stay next Thursday for 2 nights, so during that period keep the spare room at 21 degrees. The only way I can see is to wait until the day of arrival and then amend the regular schedule to suit or set it a constant temperature and tell it to ignore the schedule. But with both of these options, you have to remember to undo it afterwards. I heard nothing back.
Overall though, this is an exceptional system, far better than I could ever have hoped for, which I believe is saving me a lot of money, and probably paid for itself a long time ago. It just needs (like all apps) ongoing customer engagement and development. I would be happy to perform this role for free as I have been heavily involved in mobile app development and I love this product, and I would love to be able to help others save money with the fuel price crisis in the UK.
These are great. They’re silent and the batteries seem to last for ages. I use mine with a room thermostat and the temperature seems to be kept constant which is just what I need.
I replaced my Drayton Wireless Thermostat with new ‘Wiser’ Heating Controls. I bought the Kit 1 and subsequently 7 more Wiser TRVs.
I was disappointed to find that the Wiser Room Thermostat WiFi signal was too weak to successfully link to the new Hub R (which had directly replaced the old Wireless Thermostat Unit (by the boiler in my loft – which always worked reliably!)
The answer was obvious, I had to buy a Wiser Plug ‘extender’ (another 38). Great the system worked.
Next I fitted the two Wiser TRVs (from the Kit 1) at the extremes of distance from the Hub R. One Wiser TRV would not pair reliably. Yes – I had to buy yet another Wiser Plug ‘Extender’ and find the optimal position for its location.
My house covers 3 floors (top a loft conversion) walls all brick. My extenders are both on 1st floor at opposite ends of the house, and everything now works reliably.
I am very impressed with the many features of my Wiser system and in particular the ability for ant TRV to ‘call’ for the boiler to run when it’s room schedule requires heat.
The Hub R is linked to my home WiFi and my iPhone has the Wiser Home App downloaded (needed for set up).
The App is brilliant and very easy to use and navigate. Too many features to describe here!
The system can also use Amazon Alexa and I have even linked Wiser to IFTTT App which now automatically switches the heating off / down when my iPhone is away from home.
You can also control everything from the Wiser Home App when anywhere!
WISER has exceeded my expectations, except for two things, namely:
Poor Wiser WiFi signal strength.
No temperature ‘offset’ to correct the true room temperature for the Wiser TRV measured temperature (shown in the Wiser Home App.
I would buy again as the overall cost /features compares very well against main competitor systems.
I replaced my Drayton Wireless Thermostat with new ‘Wiser’ Heating Controls. I bought the Kit 1 and subsequently 7 more Wiser TRVs.
I was disappointed to find that the Wiser Room Thermostat WiFi signal was too weak to successfully link to the new Hub R (which had directly replaced the old Wireless Thermostat Unit (by the boiler in my loft – which always worked reliably!)
The answer was obvious, I had to buy a Wiser Plug ‘extender’ (another 38). Great the system worked.
Next I fitted the two Wiser TRVs (from the Kit 1) at the extremes of distance from the Hub R. One Wiser TRV would not pair reliably. Yes – I had to buy yet another Wiser Plug ‘Extender’ and find the optimal position for its location.
My house covers 3 floors (top a loft conversion) walls all brick. My extenders are both on 1st floor at opposite ends of the house, and everything now works reliably.
I am very impressed with the many features of my Wiser system and in particular the ability for ant TRV to ‘call’ for the boiler to run when it’s room schedule requires heat.
The Hub R is linked to my home WiFi and my iPhone has the Wiser Home App downloaded (needed for set up).
The App is brilliant and very easy to use and navigate. Too many features to describe here!
The system can also use Amazon Alexa and I have even linked Wiser to IFTTT App which now automatically switches the heating off / down when my iPhone is away from home.
You can also control everything from the Wiser Home App when anywhere!
WISER has exceeded my expectations, except for two things, namely:
Poor Wiser WiFi signal strength.
No temperature ‘offset’ to correct the true room temperature for the Wiser TRV measured temperature (shown in the Wiser Home App.
I would buy again as the overall cost /features compares very well against main competitor systems.
I hooked mine up easily, connected to my Home Assistant instance with ZigBee2Mqtt. It paired quickly and easily. Great that I can use it locally and without needing their hub. Home Assistant has a panel that can be added to the dashboard for setting the desired temp easily.
There is one snag currently in that it diverts back to 20C after an hour or two. It can be overcome be scripting to repeatedly send the desired temp. That’s the only major flaw with using it with Home Assistant.
The unit is well made. Comes with a Danfoss TRV adapter too which is handy.
I’ll be buying more and hoping the snag gets ironed ou
I hooked mine up easily, connected to my Home Assistant instance with ZigBee2Mqtt. It paired quickly and easily. Great that I can use it locally and without needing their hub. Home Assistant has a panel that can be added to the dashboard for setting the desired temp easily.
There is one snag currently in that it diverts back to 20C after an hour or two. It can be overcome be scripting to repeatedly send the desired temp. That’s the only major flaw with using it with Home Assistant.
The unit is well made. Comes with a Danfoss TRV adapter too which is handy.
I’ll be buying more and hoping the snag gets ironed ou
I have 10 valves in my system, I have stone internal walls, the system did run ok with my old WiFi router, the app having trouble seeing all the units, with the new mesh router the system runs very well. There is problems with these units and I have replaced 3, going through batteries in 3 months, normally batteries last 12 months. As you can control all your radiators, you will save money.
Running for about 2 weeks now. Bought as part of start-up set. One wall thermastat, 3 rad thermastats and control box. The control system needs wiring into the boiler. Not as easy as the video suggests. If you’re ok with wiring then straight forward. I had a friend do that bit. The rest, fitting rads thermostats, if you already have manual thermostats, is straightforward. The app on the phone is straightforward. However, there is a 8 second delay between commands on phone and reaction of thermostat. Doesn’t sound alot but when you are programming every radiator for every day of the week if is really really slow. I can’t get the IFTTT bit to work at the moment that could be me or they no longer support Wiser.
The rad thermastats are noisy when they come on. Wake you up with a start noisy, for the one in the bedroom. Not horrendously noisy but you will hear it and I’m a heavy sleeper. In other rooms with TV or radio on it wont be a problem. Putting the heating on when in the car, on the way home from finishing work early is brill. Turning heating up or down from sofa brill. Not tried voice control yet so can’t comment. Had a couple of none responsive commands so system is not 100%. But I will buy further rad thermastats for other rooms. The pros outway the cons
Running for about 2 weeks now. Bought as part of start-up set. One wall thermastat, 3 rad thermastats and control box. The control system needs wiring into the boiler. Not as easy as the video suggests. If you’re ok with wiring then straight forward. I had a friend do that bit. The rest, fitting rads thermostats, if you already have manual thermostats, is straightforward. The app on the phone is straightforward. However, there is a 8 second delay between commands on phone and reaction of thermostat. Doesn’t sound alot but when you are programming every radiator for every day of the week if is really really slow. I can’t get the IFTTT bit to work at the moment that could be me or they no longer support Wiser.
The rad thermastats are noisy when they come on. Wake you up with a start noisy, for the one in the bedroom. Not horrendously noisy but you will hear it and I’m a heavy sleeper. In other rooms with TV or radio on it wont be a problem. Putting the heating on when in the car, on the way home from finishing work early is brill. Turning heating up or down from sofa brill. Not tried voice control yet so can’t comment. Had a couple of none responsive commands so system is not 100%. But I will buy further rad thermastats for other rooms. The pros outway the cons
Installed the system in a 5 bedroom bungalow with 13 radiators. Installing the control unit next to the boiler was simple. Removed old Drayton unit and installed new (uses the same mounting plate). Replacing the radiator thermostats was simple. System configured and now running.
Issues found was with a weak WiFi signal at the control unit next to the boiler configuring the timing and temperature settings was slow, slow to update. Had to move my WiFi booster closer to the boiler. To avoid thermostats not responding I also had to add two range extender/ plug units.
Ran the system for a few days to check if reliable which it is. Changed the mode to ECO mode so hopefully will start to make some savings.
It would help greatly if the App displayed the signal strength at the hub from each the thermostats. Determining the requirement for and positioning of the range extender/ smart plugs would be so much easier.
Also I don’t see the point of combining the range extender function with that of a smart plug in the same unit. The position of the range extender is determined by signal strengths and is unlikely to be where you need a smart plug. Drayton should make two separate units ie a range extender unit and a smart plug unit. It would make more sense.
Note: If you are someone not comfortable with modern technology and want a heating system which is simply on or off not involving batteries, wifi signals, thermostat signals, Apps, etc this may not be for you.
Installed the system in a 5 bedroom bungalow with 13 radiators. Installing the control unit next to the boiler was simple. Removed old Drayton unit and installed new (uses the same mounting plate). Replacing the radiator thermostats was simple. System configured and now running.
Issues found was with a weak WiFi signal at the control unit next to the boiler configuring the timing and temperature settings was slow, slow to update. Had to move my WiFi booster closer to the boiler. To avoid thermostats not responding I also had to add two range extender/ plug units.
Ran the system for a few days to check if reliable which it is. Changed the mode to ECO mode so hopefully will start to make some savings.
It would help greatly if the App displayed the signal strength at the hub from each the thermostats. Determining the requirement for and positioning of the range extender/ smart plugs would be so much easier.
Also I don’t see the point of combining the range extender function with that of a smart plug in the same unit. The position of the range extender is determined by signal strengths and is unlikely to be where you need a smart plug. Drayton should make two separate units ie a range extender unit and a smart plug unit. It would make more sense.
Note: If you are someone not comfortable with modern technology and want a heating system which is simply on or off not involving batteries, wifi signals, thermostat signals, Apps, etc this may not be for you.
We bought this nearly 2 years ago when it was on Black Friday deals for 47 and thought for that money it’s worth a shot. This thermostat and app have not let us down. It was a bit hit and miss when we first got it but the app was quite young. Now we have zero problems. It was easy to install (you may have to get an electrician or boiler technician to install it if you don’t have any experience). Setting a schedule is so easy and you can just ask Alexa to turn the heating off when you go out and no longer need it or ask her to bump the heating or turn it down There is a feature where if you leave the house it will turn off automatically but I have not been able to work this out. The ECO MODE has been getting better and saves us some money every month as the thermostat learns how your house heats up and cools down and sets the temperature accordingly. We haven’t changed the battery in nearly 2 years and it has only lost connection to the app twice. A quick restart of the app fixes this. It’s not as pretty as a hive thermostat but it’s half the price, even at full price! Highly recommended.
We bought this nearly 2 years ago when it was on Black Friday deals for 47 and thought for that money it’s worth a shot. This thermostat and app have not let us down. It was a bit hit and miss when we first got it but the app was quite young. Now we have zero problems. It was easy to install (you may have to get an electrician or boiler technician to install it if you don’t have any experience). Setting a schedule is so easy and you can just ask Alexa to turn the heating off when you go out and no longer need it or ask her to bump the heating or turn it down There is a feature where if you leave the house it will turn off automatically but I have not been able to work this out. The ECO MODE has been getting better and saves us some money every month as the thermostat learns how your house heats up and cools down and sets the temperature accordingly. We haven’t changed the battery in nearly 2 years and it has only lost connection to the app twice. A quick restart of the app fixes this. It’s not as pretty as a hive thermostat but it’s half the price, even at full price! Highly recommended.
We have committed to Drayton wiser after leaving Hive. Wiser with its opentherm compatability uses the TRV to call for heat. These are really easy to install and maintain the room temp well. They automatically update firmware so are fairly future proof. Battery usage is good. Very happy with the investment.
Works perfect. I replaced my old honeywell, which was never accurate and i was losing money of my gas bill.
Hopefully now with the drayton it will be much more economical.
I love the fact that i can control it remotely. I can start heating the house before i get home.
I was looking to stop heating rooms that we don’t routinely use and the radiator valves connected to the Wiser app have achieved this just as I wanted.
We already had manually operated Drayton TRVs and so it was an easy swap to install the automated versions.
We needed to replace the backplate for the hub, disconnect the existing wired thermostat and substitute a permanent link in its place but this was straightforward for a competent DIYer following the wiring diagram.
Some of the radiator valves were too far from the hub to connect reliably and so I needed two extender plugs which addressed the problem but added to the installation cost.
The app has a few minor niggles, but generally works pretty well and integrates with Alexa. Graphs that plot each room’s temperature over time are useful to confirm that things are set up properly.
The major downside that we have experienced is not related to the Wiser system. When several radiators are switched off by the system, water is not necessarily following the route through the pipes that applied when the system was “balanced” at commissioning. This has created a hissing type noise in the “open” radiators that is noticeable but not outrageous.
When the radiator valves open and close there is a very short buzzing noise from the motor.
Finally there can be unexpected noise at night when a room gets too cold relative to what is programmed. The boiler will then fire up and, while it can be annoying, this is what should happen. The solution is to set the room temperature even lower during the night!
It remains to be seen how quickly I might recoup the high costs of the system from reduced heating bills but a month after installation I’m happy enough.
I now have 4 of these plus the Wiser room thermostat and hub. The set up was easy using the App on the iPhone and iPad. I can now control the temperature in individual rooms rather than having a single thermostat in the hall control everything. With this system it’s much more flexible and controllable. I need to buy a few more so that I can replace the remaining TRVs.
I now have 4 of these plus the Wiser room thermostat and hub. The set up was easy using the App on the iPhone and iPad. I can now control the temperature in individual rooms rather than having a single thermostat in the hall control everything. With this system it’s much more flexible and controllable. I need to buy a few more so that I can replace the remaining TRVs.
I’m very pleased with this system. The control box was easy to install- I had to change the back plate to the one supplied but this was not difficult for a reasonably competent DIYer. I’ve got an existing wireless thermostat connected to a motorised valve and I set that to max to keep the valve open until it’s closed by the Wiser thermostat.
The valves are very easy to fit to the radiators with the adaptors provided, and easy to integrate into the system.
I read from other reviews that it’s not fully functional through Alexa so I haven’t tried, but it’s so easy to control the temperature in each room from the app installed on my tablet and mobile phone that I don’t think I’ll bother.
It’s been installed for about 2 weeks now and although it’s early days I reckon it’s going to oay for itself in heating bills pretty quickly.
BTW customer support is excellent if you need it.
I’m very pleased with this system. The control box was easy to install- I had to change the back plate to the one supplied but this was not difficult for a reasonably competent DIYer. I’ve got an existing wireless thermostat connected to a motorised valve and I set that to max to keep the valve open until it’s closed by the Wiser thermostat.
The valves are very easy to fit to the radiators with the adaptors provided, and easy to integrate into the system.
I read from other reviews that it’s not fully functional through Alexa so I haven’t tried, but it’s so easy to control the temperature in each room from the app installed on my tablet and mobile phone that I don’t think I’ll bother.
It’s been installed for about 2 weeks now and although it’s early days I reckon it’s going to oay for itself in heating bills pretty quickly.
BTW customer support is excellent if you need it.
This radiator stat works incredibly well.
Strong WIFI signal reaches to the dim far away parts of our house. Parts that other systems do not touch, and that is without enabling the repeater function of the system.
I can’t comment on Alexa interface as I do not use it.
All in all a very good and easy to understand and fit heating control system.
These do everything that teh other well known brands do, and at a much more affordable price. Reliability is good.. I have had teh 1st system for just about a year now, never let me down. ECO mode is a bit hit and miss, in early Autum and late spring as it monitors the outside temperature and ovverides whether the heating should on or not. try telling that to somebody that lives in a North facing house!
The app could be improved, but its adequate, and you still get more info from it than the other well known brands. Can be integrated into IFTTT, but I dont.
All I will say, is dont hesitate, buy it, especially when its on sales prices… cheaper than a regular wireless thermosta
These do everything that teh other well known brands do, and at a much more affordable price. Reliability is good.. I have had teh 1st system for just about a year now, never let me down. ECO mode is a bit hit and miss, in early Autum and late spring as it monitors the outside temperature and ovverides whether the heating should on or not. try telling that to somebody that lives in a North facing house!
The app could be improved, but its adequate, and you still get more info from it than the other well known brands. Can be integrated into IFTTT, but I dont.
All I will say, is dont hesitate, buy it, especially when its on sales prices… cheaper than a regular wireless thermosta
I have had a basic switching unit that Google can turn on/off via Smarter Things and Home app. It didn’t have a thermostat so heating is either on or off.
So I took a punt on this after having lots of problems matching Hive units.
It took 5 minutes to install. I added the short link wire as it doesn’t have an internal link.
Now some people have had problems with connecting to their home wifi router. However mine saw both my router and the extender I have downstairs. I’ve a large 4 bed house.
You can’t blame this unit if your house WiFi signal is weak, just get a cheap extender.
The Wiser app loaded easily and has good responsive controls. The thermostat is neat and small but easy to read the data.
I have had a basic switching unit that Google can turn on/off via Smarter Things and Home app. It didn’t have a thermostat so heating is either on or off.
So I took a punt on this after having lots of problems matching Hive units.
It took 5 minutes to install. I added the short link wire as it doesn’t have an internal link.
Now some people have had problems with connecting to their home wifi router. However mine saw both my router and the extender I have downstairs. I’ve a large 4 bed house.
You can’t blame this unit if your house WiFi signal is weak, just get a cheap extender.
The Wiser app loaded easily and has good responsive controls. The thermostat is neat and small but easy to read the data.
Having read reviews of this and other systems I decided to change the programmer and thermostatic valves. The system was easy to fit and the valve tops fitted on 20 year old Danfoss and Drayton valves, I had to replace a couple of very old ones. The setting up was fairly straightforward with a couple of glitches but Wiser have a very helpful helpline – answered quickly by knowledgeable people. It’s now working very well and we can set the temperature in every room at every time. I’m expecting good savings in gas usage, which is welcome with rising prices.
Having read reviews of this and other systems I decided to change the programmer and thermostatic valves. The system was easy to fit and the valve tops fitted on 20 year old Danfoss and Drayton valves, I had to replace a couple of very old ones. The setting up was fairly straightforward with a couple of glitches but Wiser have a very helpful helpline – answered quickly by knowledgeable people. It’s now working very well and we can set the temperature in every room at every time. I’m expecting good savings in gas usage, which is welcome with rising prices.
This product is easy to install and easy to use with the phone. It saves messing around with timer plugs which are always a pain to change. I use it to control the electric oil heater in the conservatory and another one for the towel rail in the bathroom. However, in the summer I will it to control the valve for the garden watering system whilst I am on holiday. Not dirt cheap, but well worth the money. I should get that back with the amount of money I save on electricity.
I had a new heating system installed this year which came with a Honeywell TR3 programmable wireless stat.
No smart connectivity or app.
I did a bit of research and went for the Drayton because of the cost and reviews.
I’m absolutely delighted.
I bought the starter kit which had a thermostat, control box and 2 wireless TRVs.
After an hour of thorough googling I decided to wire the control box myself, which was easy enough after going through a few forums.
The set-up was a doddle, as was adding the TRVs.
I ordered another 5 TRVs on the spot.
All my rooms are now wirelessly connected to both the app and Alexa.
So I can set room temperatures by voice.
The app itself is easy to use and links to IFTTT, so it’s geofenced and switches off when I leave the house, and back on when I get home.
Handily the app can aggregate temperatures, so where I have 2 radiators in one room it uses an average temperature.
The bathroom radiator is the only one that doesn’t have a TRV on it so I put the thermostat in the bathroom.
Basically I can individually heat any room in the house as long as I leave the bathroom radiator on.
At this price I couldn’t be happier!
Highly recommended.
I had a new heating system installed this year which came with a Honeywell TR3 programmable wireless stat.
No smart connectivity or app.
I did a bit of research and went for the Drayton because of the cost and reviews.
I’m absolutely delighted.
I bought the starter kit which had a thermostat, control box and 2 wireless TRVs.
After an hour of thorough googling I decided to wire the control box myself, which was easy enough after going through a few forums.
The set-up was a doddle, as was adding the TRVs.
I ordered another 5 TRVs on the spot.
All my rooms are now wirelessly connected to both the app and Alexa.
So I can set room temperatures by voice.
The app itself is easy to use and links to IFTTT, so it’s geofenced and switches off when I leave the house, and back on when I get home.
Handily the app can aggregate temperatures, so where I have 2 radiators in one room it uses an average temperature.
The bathroom radiator is the only one that doesn’t have a TRV on it so I put the thermostat in the bathroom.
Basically I can individually heat any room in the house as long as I leave the bathroom radiator on.
At this price I couldn’t be happier!
Highly recommended.
Excellent product. Easy to set up and use. Only 2 minor issues mentioned below other than that delighted with it.
One issue is the wiring diagram didn’t match my 3 zone oil boiler system.
Another issue was you have to select the channel each room stat works with in the app but there didn’t seem to be any mention of this anywhere. So both room stats were turning on the upstairs heating until I figured it out.
Replacing an old freezer and rescheduling the hot water is already making substantial savings on electricity and Smart Heating is an obvious next step.
First I reviewed the available products and decided that Wiser was the best value for money and offers all the functionality that we need.
I considered iTRV’s but eventually decided that the additional cost was not worth the investment but the option is still available in the future (though our Giacomino TRV’s also require a special adapter).
The big worry was installation and a bit of research showed that our BG UP25 controller has exactly the same wiring as the Wiser Smart Hub so I went for it. It took only a few minutes to shut off the power, unscrew the old controller and replace it with the new one. The existing thermostat is now turned to 100% on and will be removed in due course when the boiler is serviced.
Connecting my iPad and programming the hot water and heating was very straight forward and there are some youtube videos available to explain the different modes (away mode, eco and comfort) which offer savings on top of setting the old style TRV’s in every room.
The system has now been commissioned and is working as expected.
I am thinking that I will use Away mode in the Summer so that the heating does not come on and for the Winter I have a schedule with 15C at night and 20C during the daytime.
A bit of research and I found the IFTTT site which links to the Wiser account and allows you to create a free account and automate the system even further eg) an applet that runs at a certain time each day to switch to Away mode in Spring and Autumn so I don’t need to keep altering the heating schedule.
I would certainly recommend checking out this system if your requirements are simple and you want good value for money.
Update:
so it’s been in place for 7 days and I have been closely monitoring the system and the power use.
As regards hot water, I have put extra lagging on the cylinder (12) and I am only heating water on ‘bath nights’ (x3 a week) giving a clear reduction in electricity usage. It actually seems sensible to heat to 65C so that the water is still usable even after three days.
Central Heating – I am not sure that Comfort mode is working with my new condenser boiler set on Economy so I have turned it off and forward scheduled my settings to get the full impact of heating when I get up in the morning. I have also scheduled a boost on ‘bath nights’ so that it doesn’t feel chilly getting out of the bath.
Overall the system is working exactly as I want and giving me control and feedback my major power usage. I already have some understanding of the time it takes the house to cool down and heat up.
It will be interesting to review this when it gets to freezing and sub zero temps later in the winter.
Wiser smart Radiator Thermostat
==========================
Still very happy with the basic system so I tried adding a smart radiator thermostat.
My existing TRVs are Giacomini so I ordered the adapter which is available online from Conrad electronics or Amazon.
Fitting the adapter was ok but does requires a very small Allen key to tighten the nuts.
My experience is that the temperatures recorded by the smart radiator thermostat go wacky at the start of the day about 15 mins before the schedule kicks in and the heating fires up. (Photos attached).
I tried re calibrating and factory reset but the problem persisted and I’m still waiting for a response from the support team so I am looking to return this in the next few days.
Instead I am getting another smart thermometer which I will use as a sensor to record room temperatures and adjust the manual controls and existing TRVs. I could probably acheive the same with a simple digital thermostat but for a little extra cost the wiser smart thermostat will record the temperatures.
Update: 20/11/20.
===============
Overall I still have a very favorable opinion re: the Drayton Wiser Smart Heating system – as it is easy to install, performs well and allows me to control energy consumption in these difficult times.
The Smart Radiator Thermostat did not work for me at all and I returned the product which may have been faulty. As stated above, my strategy now is to have two Smart Room Thermostats and this is working very well. In truth I might have done the same by getting a cheaper analog max/min thermostat but it’s nice to have the data recorded and two rooms allows you to exceed the 8 event s a day limit on a schedule.
Purchased this item really to use as a range extender for the wifi. I used it to replace an existing standard plug-in timer which was okay but being in an area that is susceptible to power cuts I had to keep resetting the timer, with this unit it never loses time not as bulky as my original timer so its another plus point. I am really pleased with its functionality and the control in conjunction with the Wiser App. The downside in my opinion was the cost. I hope some Wiser Geek could explain and justify the cost, probably down to the wifi, Alexa, and Google compatibility. I have also contacted Drayton and asked them on their next upgrade to show how good the signal is on the plugs through the app otherwise how do you know you have them in the best place.
Purchased this item really to use as a range extender for the wifi. I used it to replace an existing standard plug-in timer which was okay but being in an area that is susceptible to power cuts I had to keep resetting the timer, with this unit it never loses time not as bulky as my original timer so its another plus point. I am really pleased with its functionality and the control in conjunction with the Wiser App. The downside in my opinion was the cost. I hope some Wiser Geek could explain and justify the cost, probably down to the wifi, Alexa, and Google compatibility. I have also contacted Drayton and asked them on their next upgrade to show how good the signal is on the plugs through the app otherwise how do you know you have them in the best place.
I was originally going for the cheap Chinese radiator set, which you get them for about half the price. But the backplate requires different wiring and I am not too certain.
I decided to go for drayton, as this was the same as my old British gas one. It was so easy to fit (only unscrew and screw, 1 min job). And then the app is very smart.
I use alexa to control on/off, heat my towel for 30 min after shower for example. turn on hot water before showering etc. its realllly nice!
Bought a few of these , had to buy an range extension plug to get 2 to receive stable signal at a distance of around 10 metres through one brick wall, I do love this system ,after playing with rad balancing and thermostat valves for years never getting the balance perfect, this system did it easy
Bought a few of these , had to buy an range extension plug to get 2 to receive stable signal at a distance of around 10 metres through one brick wall, I do love this system ,after playing with rad balancing and thermostat valves for years never getting the balance perfect, this system did it easy
Worked perfectly for me, there’s a little messing around to set up, just do your radiator thermostats one at a time, once connected the system has trouble differentiating between the two. Also, you must register an email account with the app, if you don’t you can’t connect to the smart controller, an have to go through the entire set up again.
However, once set up, it’s easy to use, works perfectly with the Alexa, you will have to learn on the fly about your temperature, 1-5 on the old knobs means nothing to Alexa.
Also bare in mind, the thermostat on the radiator doesn’t give an accurate representation of the temperature for your room,
For example 15*C is the temperature of the thermostat on the pipe at the radiator not the whole room, you’ll have to dial it in to your own needs.
Worked perfectly for me, there’s a little messing around to set up, just do your radiator thermostats one at a time, once connected the system has trouble differentiating between the two. Also, you must register an email account with the app, if you don’t you can’t connect to the smart controller, an have to go through the entire set up again.
However, once set up, it’s easy to use, works perfectly with the Alexa, you will have to learn on the fly about your temperature, 1-5 on the old knobs means nothing to Alexa.
Also bare in mind, the thermostat on the radiator doesn’t give an accurate representation of the temperature for your room,
For example 15*C is the temperature of the thermostat on the pipe at the radiator not the whole room, you’ll have to dial it in to your own needs.
Easy installation, smart room TRV thermostats are a great addition to my earlier purchased Wiser heat hub, I now have smart TRVs all over my house, so far so good if purchased with the wiser smart plugs which are required to help extend the signal, otherwise these radiator smart TRVs will not be picked up and heat will not be triggered.
We have a 10 radiator heating sytem with Wiser thermostats. They communicate back to Wiser hub with Zigbee technology. Three of the thermostats were on the cusp of signal range from the hub and were using their batteries much too quickly. This Smart Plug has bridged the gap really well. The Wiser tech support people are VERY responsive to emails and very helpful. They were able to connect to our hub remotely and confirm the original signal problems and when I tried the Smart Plug in different positions in the house they could check to see which radiator thermostats were connecting OK to it. Very happy customer.
Sorry I don’t use it with Alexa so can’t comment on that aspect.
I bought this on a whim really as I was about to put my old Honeywell, wired, programmable thermostat and Siemens time switch back into my system following the fiasco with the Hive I had for less than 6 months! Noticed this Kit 2 as a warehouse deal “like new” so decided to give it a try.
Very easy to install, with only 2 units – the combined boiler switch/hub/controller and the very small and neat wireless thermostat (the Hive had 3 units – the extra one required an Ethernet connection to your router).
One installation hiccup was although all three boiler controllers state they will fit straight onto your existing, industry standard, back-plate in fact the Hive would NOT fit (it has a couple of extra profiles on the side of the box) so I had to fit Hives own mounting (not very good quality terminals). When I came to fit the Wiser controller it would NOT fit onto the Hive back-plate – it would have fitted the Siemens original one though! So I ended up changing the back-plate on both installs – at least the Wiser version has better quality terminals.
A further problem arose when I was starting everything up on the phone app – it appeared the Hub was already registered to someone else – thanks Amazon! Strange as when I received the unit it seemed to be factory sealed,the batteries were shrink wrapped, protective film on screen ans even the clip in desk stand was included?
At this point I let go a few expletives as I knew that with the Hive system, once the hub is registered to an account, it absolutely cannot be re-assigned – you have to buy a new hub for about 70!
However I decided to ring Wiser support – not expecting much in view of my previous days call to Hive – nearly 2 hours long – 50% unintelligible audio, lots of resetting of my router, changing cables, standing on my head – all to no avail and when they said “advanced tech support would ring me within 72 hours” to sort it out I decided that was the taking the mickey – Screwfix refund beckoned!
My call to Wiser support was totally different – a very helpful, polite, friendly and knowledgeable lady, whom I could easily understand on a clear phone line, just needed to know where the kit had been purchased and the serial number of the hub. Within 5 minutes the previous user had been cancelled and the hub was now registered to me – excellent stuff, exactly how customer support SHOULD work!
Pros:
Easy to fit / very neat small thermostat unit with the option of wall mount or desk mount / so far the app works well (the ONLY way to program a schedule) and has lots of options and information / attractive colour display / simple 3 touch button control to adjust room temperature or select boost feature / possible to control the system from the app if your internet connection goes down – just press the “setup” button once then connect your phone/tablet WiFi to the built in Wiserxxxxxxx access point.
Cons:
No Hot Water display on the thermostat (HW boost or over-ride ONLY available at the hub or on the app) / often the flame symbol stays illuminated for a long time after the room temperature is satisfied and the boiler has turned off (very slow update) / no proximity sensor to briefly turn the display on when you approach it
Overall it seems a good workable system and if it proves reliable I might just shell out and fit the intelligent TRVs to all my radiators BUT, as I need 12 of these at a cost of around 480 I will have to be very sure of the reliability first – It would be nice to be able to schedule and temperature control various different rooms at varying times – almost like “zoning” without the extra plumbing and valves etc!
Just a last word on my previous Hive – when the hub failed it also managed to corrupt the time setting in the thermostat and although they say “you can still run the schedule without internet”, you probably could EXCEPT there is NO time setting function available in the menu so yes, it would run the schedule BUT about 8 hours out of sync with the actual time – useless!
I bought this on a whim really as I was about to put my old Honeywell, wired, programmable thermostat and Siemens time switch back into my system following the fiasco with the Hive I had for less than 6 months! Noticed this Kit 2 as a warehouse deal “like new” so decided to give it a try.
Very easy to install, with only 2 units – the combined boiler switch/hub/controller and the very small and neat wireless thermostat (the Hive had 3 units – the extra one required an Ethernet connection to your router).
One installation hiccup was although all three boiler controllers state they will fit straight onto your existing, industry standard, back-plate in fact the Hive would NOT fit (it has a couple of extra profiles on the side of the box) so I had to fit Hives own mounting (not very good quality terminals). When I came to fit the Wiser controller it would NOT fit onto the Hive back-plate – it would have fitted the Siemens original one though! So I ended up changing the back-plate on both installs – at least the Wiser version has better quality terminals.
A further problem arose when I was starting everything up on the phone app – it appeared the Hub was already registered to someone else – thanks Amazon! Strange as when I received the unit it seemed to be factory sealed,the batteries were shrink wrapped, protective film on screen ans even the clip in desk stand was included?
At this point I let go a few expletives as I knew that with the Hive system, once the hub is registered to an account, it absolutely cannot be re-assigned – you have to buy a new hub for about 70!
However I decided to ring Wiser support – not expecting much in view of my previous days call to Hive – nearly 2 hours long – 50% unintelligible audio, lots of resetting of my router, changing cables, standing on my head – all to no avail and when they said “advanced tech support would ring me within 72 hours” to sort it out I decided that was the taking the mickey – Screwfix refund beckoned!
My call to Wiser support was totally different – a very helpful, polite, friendly and knowledgeable lady, whom I could easily understand on a clear phone line, just needed to know where the kit had been purchased and the serial number of the hub. Within 5 minutes the previous user had been cancelled and the hub was now registered to me – excellent stuff, exactly how customer support SHOULD work!
Pros:
Easy to fit / very neat small thermostat unit with the option of wall mount or desk mount / so far the app works well (the ONLY way to program a schedule) and has lots of options and information / attractive colour display / simple 3 touch button control to adjust room temperature or select boost feature / possible to control the system from the app if your internet connection goes down – just press the “setup” button once then connect your phone/tablet WiFi to the built in Wiserxxxxxxx access point.
Cons:
No Hot Water display on the thermostat (HW boost or over-ride ONLY available at the hub or on the app) / often the flame symbol stays illuminated for a long time after the room temperature is satisfied and the boiler has turned off (very slow update) / no proximity sensor to briefly turn the display on when you approach it
Overall it seems a good workable system and if it proves reliable I might just shell out and fit the intelligent TRVs to all my radiators BUT, as I need 12 of these at a cost of around 480 I will have to be very sure of the reliability first – It would be nice to be able to schedule and temperature control various different rooms at varying times – almost like “zoning” without the extra plumbing and valves etc!
Just a last word on my previous Hive – when the hub failed it also managed to corrupt the time setting in the thermostat and although they say “you can still run the schedule without internet”, you probably could EXCEPT there is NO time setting function available in the menu so yes, it would run the schedule BUT about 8 hours out of sync with the actual time – useless!
I bought this as my baby needed to have hIs room at a constant 20 degrees (according to midwife), but meant heating was constantly on all year round all throughout the house. No need. Got this installed by a local plumber. All radiators in the house now have the Drayton Wiser TRV’s on and it’s very easy to use and control using the app. Not really sure what the benefit of the room thermostat is, but I would highly recommend. We have set all sorts of schedules for all of the different rooms of the house, never need to be too hot or too cold, and it never has to affect any other room in the house!
I will admit I’m not using many of the smart features, but so far this has exceeded expectations.
It came as an Amazon return, which meant I soon had an opportunity to interact with customer services. Despite it being Christmas Eve afternoon the phone was promptly answered and the device reset within 10 minutes with the help of a friendly and knowledgeable gent. Another 10 minutes saw the whole thing up and running. The install itself was a simple matter of following the instructions.
I love the fact it has an Opentherm module even though I cannot use it in my system as it is split into upstairs and downstairs zones. They didn’t cheap out. Both stats paired without issue and have stayed connected ever since. Numerous system changes (heating and wifi) and power outages have failed to upset it.
So far everything works exactly as intended. I am also impressed that it does indeed seem to be quite smart. It measures humidity, which is required for accurate heating. Most impressive has been the way it now chooses to boost the heating early in the evening, while it has less work to do, and then just let the temperature drift down to the set level by the time it is scheduled to set back for the night. The ability to keep track of weather and heating patterns from since it was installed is also great. As I’m just zoned for downstairs underfloor heating and upstairs radiators I haven’t had any of the range or battery problems others have reported when using radiator smart valves.
Overall: Excellent performance so far and the only Smart Device that has proved less trouble than its non-smart equivalent. I’d happily buy another.
I will admit I’m not using many of the smart features, but so far this has exceeded expectations.
It came as an Amazon return, which meant I soon had an opportunity to interact with customer services. Despite it being Christmas Eve afternoon the phone was promptly answered and the device reset within 10 minutes with the help of a friendly and knowledgeable gent. Another 10 minutes saw the whole thing up and running. The install itself was a simple matter of following the instructions.
I love the fact it has an Opentherm module even though I cannot use it in my system as it is split into upstairs and downstairs zones. They didn’t cheap out. Both stats paired without issue and have stayed connected ever since. Numerous system changes (heating and wifi) and power outages have failed to upset it.
So far everything works exactly as intended. I am also impressed that it does indeed seem to be quite smart. It measures humidity, which is required for accurate heating. Most impressive has been the way it now chooses to boost the heating early in the evening, while it has less work to do, and then just let the temperature drift down to the set level by the time it is scheduled to set back for the night. The ability to keep track of weather and heating patterns from since it was installed is also great. As I’m just zoned for downstairs underfloor heating and upstairs radiators I haven’t had any of the range or battery problems others have reported when using radiator smart valves.
Overall: Excellent performance so far and the only Smart Device that has proved less trouble than its non-smart equivalent. I’d happily buy another.
We have a house with solid walls. Some rooms are warm and stay warm, others go cold really quickly.
We had a Worcester 34cdi with old drayton RF controller built in, and at night the bedrooms used to drop way below the setpoint of the wall thermostat – not great for kids bedrooms – especially when mold started for form in the colder rooms, so had been looking at Smart control systems. (Insulation is a few k so trying this option first)
This kit came on a treasure truck offer few months ago so bought it, plus 3 additional radiator valves.
Had to arrange an electrician to install the wall plate and the hub to the boiler… 60ish and less than an hours work.
The rest is done via the app on your phone.
Positives:
-Responsive accurate control of the system
-Able to have a temperature zone everywhere you have a sensor
-You can create a schedule of times/temperatures and assign multiple rooms to that schedule, or you can have a schedule per room (as we do as our use of each room fluctuates).
– Radiator valves (TRVs) *very* easy to install and setup (just observe the battery polarity markings!… as the typical “springs” arent the same as other appliances… I spent 30 mins trying to figure out why none of my valves was powering on…to see that the batteries were in wrong!). TRV up/down can trigger a 2c boost for 1hr for that zone.
– If you have a TRV and wall control in a single zone then the wall control automatically overrides the heating-demand on the TRV itself.
– TRVs are simple in that there is no pull out display like the honeywells. Just boost up/down twists to change current setpoint.
– Not too loud… slight whir for split second when temps adjusting… eg if too cold you hear the valve open, then the heating comes on. If the boiler is on and they dont want heat… then they whir shut.
– Make sure your valve-body pins are free… get pair of pliers and shift up down a few times with a little wd40 so the motors dont have quite as much work to do.
– We have solid walls, but didnt need the range extender. Furthermost valve needed to be connected to hub a bit closer, but always responds to control now connected.
– android app is intuitive and easy to make changes in; there are now also battery status bars for each device and alerts when getting low. Plenty of insights of how your house behaves thermally, compared with say the outside temperature and what rooms heat when. (Mine is saying to install a TRV in our lounge as we are overheating it constantly as its an “always on” radiator – which had suspected).
– comfort mode works out over time what your room takes to heat vs outside weather and turns on the heating before scheduled time so it reaches the set point when youve told it to. Works pretty well IMO.
– there is a “eco” mode but not tried it out. Apparently its turned our heating down quite a few times when not needed… time will tell if reduces bills, but we bought it more for comfort so that we didnt have to wake up in middle of night to turn heating up for the kids.
– hub range pretty decent. Our hub is in our outhouse round back of house and we still get 2/5 signal upstairs at front of house; the rad valves seem to maintain decent connection just the app sometimes struggles.
– each of the smart TRVs can be “locked” so can only be changed via the app… useful if you have little hands that like to fiddle with things that whirr and flash
Negatives:
ipad app:
– layout… doesnt landscape when you turn the screen
– doesnt have the “settings” options… for that I have to use my android phone… so wouldnt have been able to setup using our ipad. Also doesn’t work with older ipads (we have a mini it wont install on, which might have been useful to just put on a wall in the hallway)
Android app:
1. latest update… if low signal to the hub it sits waiting to connect to the hub before you can change any settings… previously you could go in, review and only when you came to change something would it complain about hub connection… now… it just blocks everything. Loathe to buy the range extender given its 1 corner of the house that has the problem and we are moving our boiler soon.
2. Initial setup – I couldnt create an account without the app being connected to my hub… so as such I couldnt do that side of things before my hub was actually installed
All access is via the “app”… that is you have to have a phone/tablet to control the system with any granularity; there is no way to login online and make changes, even though you can control the system via the app when away from home.
Only things missing IMO from the infrastructure are:
– TRVs dont have a temp display on them (see honeywell).
– a more advanced display control unit to upgrade to (see honeywell)
– underfloor heating manifold (again…Honeywell) (we are planning this on our extension next year, so if not available will have to change systems, but for the price “right now” this is a no-brainer)
– ability to login via a web-page and do all the same things the app can do
So far so good. Id **thoroughly** recommend and would buy again.
Update: replaced my lounge radiator lockshield with a wiser trv (for some reason this was our pass-thru, so moved them to the bathroom rad instead). Head registered then lights would randomly start flashing. +/- worked in opposite direction and then it disconnected and lights were flashing at random. Clearly a dud. Raised with Amazon who sent out next day replacement (which works perfectly) and now our lounge wont be epicly overheating whenever any other room demands heat.
If you have a smart meter you can also integrate with that, but my supplier (BG Evolve) doesnt do smart meters – not sure how it looks on the app.
I like the insights view shows you when heating was turned on or off during setpoint cycles. It shows external temp (from weather forecast) and internal temp in the room vs setpoint so you can see how outside temp influences internal temp and then when the system triggers. I guess it means you can look and see if its triggering when you arent using that room and adjust the schedule for that room – which I had done up front as our activity is fairly predictable
We have a house with solid walls. Some rooms are warm and stay warm, others go cold really quickly.
We had a Worcester 34cdi with old drayton RF controller built in, and at night the bedrooms used to drop way below the setpoint of the wall thermostat – not great for kids bedrooms – especially when mold started for form in the colder rooms, so had been looking at Smart control systems. (Insulation is a few k so trying this option first)
This kit came on a treasure truck offer few months ago so bought it, plus 3 additional radiator valves.
Had to arrange an electrician to install the wall plate and the hub to the boiler… 60ish and less than an hours work.
The rest is done via the app on your phone.
Positives:
-Responsive accurate control of the system
-Able to have a temperature zone everywhere you have a sensor
-You can create a schedule of times/temperatures and assign multiple rooms to that schedule, or you can have a schedule per room (as we do as our use of each room fluctuates).
– Radiator valves (TRVs) *very* easy to install and setup (just observe the battery polarity markings!… as the typical “springs” arent the same as other appliances… I spent 30 mins trying to figure out why none of my valves was powering on…to see that the batteries were in wrong!). TRV up/down can trigger a 2c boost for 1hr for that zone.
– If you have a TRV and wall control in a single zone then the wall control automatically overrides the heating-demand on the TRV itself.
– TRVs are simple in that there is no pull out display like the honeywells. Just boost up/down twists to change current setpoint.
– Not too loud… slight whir for split second when temps adjusting… eg if too cold you hear the valve open, then the heating comes on. If the boiler is on and they dont want heat… then they whir shut.
– Make sure your valve-body pins are free… get pair of pliers and shift up down a few times with a little wd40 so the motors dont have quite as much work to do.
– We have solid walls, but didnt need the range extender. Furthermost valve needed to be connected to hub a bit closer, but always responds to control now connected.
– android app is intuitive and easy to make changes in; there are now also battery status bars for each device and alerts when getting low. Plenty of insights of how your house behaves thermally, compared with say the outside temperature and what rooms heat when. (Mine is saying to install a TRV in our lounge as we are overheating it constantly as its an “always on” radiator – which had suspected).
– comfort mode works out over time what your room takes to heat vs outside weather and turns on the heating before scheduled time so it reaches the set point when youve told it to. Works pretty well IMO.
– there is a “eco” mode but not tried it out. Apparently its turned our heating down quite a few times when not needed… time will tell if reduces bills, but we bought it more for comfort so that we didnt have to wake up in middle of night to turn heating up for the kids.
– hub range pretty decent. Our hub is in our outhouse round back of house and we still get 2/5 signal upstairs at front of house; the rad valves seem to maintain decent connection just the app sometimes struggles.
– each of the smart TRVs can be “locked” so can only be changed via the app… useful if you have little hands that like to fiddle with things that whirr and flash
Negatives:
ipad app:
– layout… doesnt landscape when you turn the screen
– doesnt have the “settings” options… for that I have to use my android phone… so wouldnt have been able to setup using our ipad. Also doesn’t work with older ipads (we have a mini it wont install on, which might have been useful to just put on a wall in the hallway)
Android app:
1. latest update… if low signal to the hub it sits waiting to connect to the hub before you can change any settings… previously you could go in, review and only when you came to change something would it complain about hub connection… now… it just blocks everything. Loathe to buy the range extender given its 1 corner of the house that has the problem and we are moving our boiler soon.
2. Initial setup – I couldnt create an account without the app being connected to my hub… so as such I couldnt do that side of things before my hub was actually installed
All access is via the “app”… that is you have to have a phone/tablet to control the system with any granularity; there is no way to login online and make changes, even though you can control the system via the app when away from home.
Only things missing IMO from the infrastructure are:
– TRVs dont have a temp display on them (see honeywell).
– a more advanced display control unit to upgrade to (see honeywell)
– underfloor heating manifold (again…Honeywell) (we are planning this on our extension next year, so if not available will have to change systems, but for the price “right now” this is a no-brainer)
– ability to login via a web-page and do all the same things the app can do
So far so good. Id **thoroughly** recommend and would buy again.
Update: replaced my lounge radiator lockshield with a wiser trv (for some reason this was our pass-thru, so moved them to the bathroom rad instead). Head registered then lights would randomly start flashing. +/- worked in opposite direction and then it disconnected and lights were flashing at random. Clearly a dud. Raised with Amazon who sent out next day replacement (which works perfectly) and now our lounge wont be epicly overheating whenever any other room demands heat.
If you have a smart meter you can also integrate with that, but my supplier (BG Evolve) doesnt do smart meters – not sure how it looks on the app.
I like the insights view shows you when heating was turned on or off during setpoint cycles. It shows external temp (from weather forecast) and internal temp in the room vs setpoint so you can see how outside temp influences internal temp and then when the system triggers. I guess it means you can look and see if its triggering when you arent using that room and adjust the schedule for that room – which I had done up front as our activity is fairly predictable
We have a house with solid walls. Some rooms are warm and stay warm, others go cold really quickly.
We had a Worcester 34cdi with old drayton RF controller built in, and at night the bedrooms used to drop way below the setpoint of the wall thermostat – not great for kids bedrooms – especially when mold started for form in the colder rooms, so had been looking at Smart control systems. (Insulation is a few k so trying this option first)
This kit came on a treasure truck offer few months ago so bought it, plus 3 additional radiator valves.
Had to arrange an electrician to install the wall plate and the hub to the boiler… 60ish and less than an hours work.
The rest is done via the app on your phone.
Positives:
-Responsive accurate control of the system
-Able to have a temperature zone everywhere you have a sensor
-You can create a schedule of times/temperatures and assign multiple rooms to that schedule, or you can have a schedule per room (as we do as our use of each room fluctuates).
– Radiator valves (TRVs) *very* easy to install and setup (just observe the battery polarity markings!… as the typical “springs” arent the same as other appliances… I spent 30 mins trying to figure out why none of my valves was powering on…to see that the batteries were in wrong!). TRV up/down can trigger a 2c boost for 1hr for that zone.
– If you have a TRV and wall control in a single zone then the wall control automatically overrides the heating-demand on the TRV itself.
– TRVs are simple in that there is no pull out display like the honeywells. Just boost up/down twists to change current setpoint.
– Not too loud… slight whir for split second when temps adjusting… eg if too cold you hear the valve open, then the heating comes on. If the boiler is on and they dont want heat… then they whir shut.
– Make sure your valve-body pins are free… get pair of pliers and shift up down a few times with a little wd40 so the motors dont have quite as much work to do.
– We have solid walls, but didnt need the range extender. Furthermost valve needed to be connected to hub a bit closer, but always responds to control now connected.
– android app is intuitive and easy to make changes in; there are now also battery status bars for each device and alerts when getting low. Plenty of insights of how your house behaves thermally, compared with say the outside temperature and what rooms heat when. (Mine is saying to install a TRV in our lounge as we are overheating it constantly as its an “always on” radiator – which had suspected).
– comfort mode works out over time what your room takes to heat vs outside weather and turns on the heating before scheduled time so it reaches the set point when youve told it to. Works pretty well IMO.
– there is a “eco” mode but not tried it out. Apparently its turned our heating down quite a few times when not needed… time will tell if reduces bills, but we bought it more for comfort so that we didnt have to wake up in middle of night to turn heating up for the kids.
– hub range pretty decent. Our hub is in our outhouse round back of house and we still get 2/5 signal upstairs at front of house; the rad valves seem to maintain decent connection just the app sometimes struggles.
– each of the smart TRVs can be “locked” so can only be changed via the app… useful if you have little hands that like to fiddle with things that whirr and flash
Negatives:
ipad app:
– layout… doesnt landscape when you turn the screen
– doesnt have the “settings” options… for that I have to use my android phone… so wouldnt have been able to setup using our ipad. Also doesn’t work with older ipads (we have a mini it wont install on, which might have been useful to just put on a wall in the hallway)
Android app:
1. latest update… if low signal to the hub it sits waiting to connect to the hub before you can change any settings… previously you could go in, review and only when you came to change something would it complain about hub connection… now… it just blocks everything. Loathe to buy the range extender given its 1 corner of the house that has the problem and we are moving our boiler soon.
2. Initial setup – I couldnt create an account without the app being connected to my hub… so as such I couldnt do that side of things before my hub was actually installed
All access is via the “app”… that is you have to have a phone/tablet to control the system with any granularity; there is no way to login online and make changes, even though you can control the system via the app when away from home.
Only things missing IMO from the infrastructure are:
– TRVs dont have a temp display on them (see honeywell).
– a more advanced display control unit to upgrade to (see honeywell)
– underfloor heating manifold (again…Honeywell) (we are planning this on our extension next year, so if not available will have to change systems, but for the price “right now” this is a no-brainer)
– ability to login via a web-page and do all the same things the app can do
So far so good. Id **thoroughly** recommend and would buy again.
Update: replaced my lounge radiator lockshield with a wiser trv (for some reason this was our pass-thru, so moved them to the bathroom rad instead). Head registered then lights would randomly start flashing. +/- worked in opposite direction and then it disconnected and lights were flashing at random. Clearly a dud. Raised with Amazon who sent out next day replacement (which works perfectly) and now our lounge wont be epicly overheating whenever any other room demands heat.
If you have a smart meter you can also integrate with that, but my supplier (BG Evolve) doesnt do smart meters – not sure how it looks on the app.
I like the insights view shows you when heating was turned on or off during setpoint cycles. It shows external temp (from weather forecast) and internal temp in the room vs setpoint so you can see how outside temp influences internal temp and then when the system triggers. I guess it means you can look and see if its triggering when you arent using that room and adjust the schedule for that room – which I had done up front as our activity is fairly predictable
We have a house with solid walls. Some rooms are warm and stay warm, others go cold really quickly.
We had a Worcester 34cdi with old drayton RF controller built in, and at night the bedrooms used to drop way below the setpoint of the wall thermostat – not great for kids bedrooms – especially when mold started for form in the colder rooms, so had been looking at Smart control systems. (Insulation is a few k so trying this option first)
This kit came on a treasure truck offer few months ago so bought it, plus 3 additional radiator valves.
Had to arrange an electrician to install the wall plate and the hub to the boiler… 60ish and less than an hours work.
The rest is done via the app on your phone.
Positives:
-Responsive accurate control of the system
-Able to have a temperature zone everywhere you have a sensor
-You can create a schedule of times/temperatures and assign multiple rooms to that schedule, or you can have a schedule per room (as we do as our use of each room fluctuates).
– Radiator valves (TRVs) *very* easy to install and setup (just observe the battery polarity markings!… as the typical “springs” arent the same as other appliances… I spent 30 mins trying to figure out why none of my valves was powering on…to see that the batteries were in wrong!). TRV up/down can trigger a 2c boost for 1hr for that zone.
– If you have a TRV and wall control in a single zone then the wall control automatically overrides the heating-demand on the TRV itself.
– TRVs are simple in that there is no pull out display like the honeywells. Just boost up/down twists to change current setpoint.
– Not too loud… slight whir for split second when temps adjusting… eg if too cold you hear the valve open, then the heating comes on. If the boiler is on and they dont want heat… then they whir shut.
– Make sure your valve-body pins are free… get pair of pliers and shift up down a few times with a little wd40 so the motors dont have quite as much work to do.
– We have solid walls, but didnt need the range extender. Furthermost valve needed to be connected to hub a bit closer, but always responds to control now connected.
– android app is intuitive and easy to make changes in; there are now also battery status bars for each device and alerts when getting low. Plenty of insights of how your house behaves thermally, compared with say the outside temperature and what rooms heat when. (Mine is saying to install a TRV in our lounge as we are overheating it constantly as its an “always on” radiator – which had suspected).
– comfort mode works out over time what your room takes to heat vs outside weather and turns on the heating before scheduled time so it reaches the set point when youve told it to. Works pretty well IMO.
– there is a “eco” mode but not tried it out. Apparently its turned our heating down quite a few times when not needed… time will tell if reduces bills, but we bought it more for comfort so that we didnt have to wake up in middle of night to turn heating up for the kids.
– hub range pretty decent. Our hub is in our outhouse round back of house and we still get 2/5 signal upstairs at front of house; the rad valves seem to maintain decent connection just the app sometimes struggles.
– each of the smart TRVs can be “locked” so can only be changed via the app… useful if you have little hands that like to fiddle with things that whirr and flash
Negatives:
ipad app:
– layout… doesnt landscape when you turn the screen
– doesnt have the “settings” options… for that I have to use my android phone… so wouldnt have been able to setup using our ipad. Also doesn’t work with older ipads (we have a mini it wont install on, which might have been useful to just put on a wall in the hallway)
Android app:
1. latest update… if low signal to the hub it sits waiting to connect to the hub before you can change any settings… previously you could go in, review and only when you came to change something would it complain about hub connection… now… it just blocks everything. Loathe to buy the range extender given its 1 corner of the house that has the problem and we are moving our boiler soon.
2. Initial setup – I couldnt create an account without the app being connected to my hub… so as such I couldnt do that side of things before my hub was actually installed
All access is via the “app”… that is you have to have a phone/tablet to control the system with any granularity; there is no way to login online and make changes, even though you can control the system via the app when away from home.
Only things missing IMO from the infrastructure are:
– TRVs dont have a temp display on them (see honeywell).
– a more advanced display control unit to upgrade to (see honeywell)
– underfloor heating manifold (again…Honeywell) (we are planning this on our extension next year, so if not available will have to change systems, but for the price “right now” this is a no-brainer)
– ability to login via a web-page and do all the same things the app can do
So far so good. Id **thoroughly** recommend and would buy again.
Update: replaced my lounge radiator lockshield with a wiser trv (for some reason this was our pass-thru, so moved them to the bathroom rad instead). Head registered then lights would randomly start flashing. +/- worked in opposite direction and then it disconnected and lights were flashing at random. Clearly a dud. Raised with Amazon who sent out next day replacement (which works perfectly) and now our lounge wont be epicly overheating whenever any other room demands heat.
If you have a smart meter you can also integrate with that, but my supplier (BG Evolve) doesnt do smart meters – not sure how it looks on the app.
I like the insights view shows you when heating was turned on or off during setpoint cycles. It shows external temp (from weather forecast) and internal temp in the room vs setpoint so you can see how outside temp influences internal temp and then when the system triggers. I guess it means you can look and see if its triggering when you arent using that room and adjust the schedule for that room – which I had done up front as our activity is fairly predictable
Where to start. Well swapping over the controllers was an absolute doddle, and the smart room thermostat did all the work itself. It all seemed so simple. And then the problem hit. Trying to connect the controller / hub to my WiFi. So many times it said it connected but then the app couldn’t find it, red lights flashing, green lights flashing. It nearly went back in the box and to the UPS returns point. However I swapped some emails with Drayton Support and they suggested I try a different phone to the Huawei P30 I had been using. I tried an old Samsung S7. This time during the connection the setup light went solid red so I contemplated an unopened bottle of whisky. As I contemplated for about 10 minutes, the light went solid green. The app still wouldn’t connect. I had set the guest wifi to 2.4GHz having previous experience of smart things. Eventually in despair with thoughts of a hefty hammer I changed the 2.4 GHz WiFi back to 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz auto. Closed the app, restarted. At first it still refused to register / find the hub. And then a miracle – it found the hub after a few tries. It all works now. Only 6 hours later.
So the secret to not spending 6 hours. Set your guest WiFi to 2.4 GHz. Run through the connection routine as far as the register page and remote control. At this stage you are directly connected to the hub on a temporary network. On your phone “forget” the passwords to your home WiFi networks or your phone may switch networks when it shouldn’t. At the end of setup, tell the hub the name and password of your guest WiFi. It should turn solid red. Make sure the hub setup light changes to solid green – can take 10 minutes. At that point, change your Guest WiFi back to 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz auto. Give it a few minutes to settle. Connect your phone to the guest WiFi. Complete the registration and click to remote connect. You may need to try a couple of times. If not return to the register screen, skip, logout, restart the app, try again. Perseverance seems to be required. Put your hammer and bottle of spirits away, relax with a nice cup of tea. You can now reconnect to your main WiFi and test whether the hub can be controlled from a different WiFi. Test with mobile WiFi too. Drayton support come back quickly if you need them but hopefully my experience will help you complete the process a lot quicker.
Once set up you can control both central heating and hot water remotely from your phone. On that basis I would give the product 5 stars but the setup instructions only 2 because whilst it is easy when you know what to do someone needs to tell you how when it doesn’t work first time. Switching WiFi networks around a couple of times – not in the manual, not intuitive unless you’ve gone through the pain before. Changing phones – never would have thought of that. Drayton support were good, 4 stars. So overall a 4 I think.
Where to start. Well swapping over the controllers was an absolute doddle, and the smart room thermostat did all the work itself. It all seemed so simple. And then the problem hit. Trying to connect the controller / hub to my WiFi. So many times it said it connected but then the app couldn’t find it, red lights flashing, green lights flashing. It nearly went back in the box and to the UPS returns point. However I swapped some emails with Drayton Support and they suggested I try a different phone to the Huawei P30 I had been using. I tried an old Samsung S7. This time during the connection the setup light went solid red so I contemplated an unopened bottle of whisky. As I contemplated for about 10 minutes, the light went solid green. The app still wouldn’t connect. I had set the guest wifi to 2.4GHz having previous experience of smart things. Eventually in despair with thoughts of a hefty hammer I changed the 2.4 GHz WiFi back to 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz auto. Closed the app, restarted. At first it still refused to register / find the hub. And then a miracle – it found the hub after a few tries. It all works now. Only 6 hours later.
So the secret to not spending 6 hours. Set your guest WiFi to 2.4 GHz. Run through the connection routine as far as the register page and remote control. At this stage you are directly connected to the hub on a temporary network. On your phone “forget” the passwords to your home WiFi networks or your phone may switch networks when it shouldn’t. At the end of setup, tell the hub the name and password of your guest WiFi. It should turn solid red. Make sure the hub setup light changes to solid green – can take 10 minutes. At that point, change your Guest WiFi back to 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz auto. Give it a few minutes to settle. Connect your phone to the guest WiFi. Complete the registration and click to remote connect. You may need to try a couple of times. If not return to the register screen, skip, logout, restart the app, try again. Perseverance seems to be required. Put your hammer and bottle of spirits away, relax with a nice cup of tea. You can now reconnect to your main WiFi and test whether the hub can be controlled from a different WiFi. Test with mobile WiFi too. Drayton support come back quickly if you need them but hopefully my experience will help you complete the process a lot quicker.
Once set up you can control both central heating and hot water remotely from your phone. On that basis I would give the product 5 stars but the setup instructions only 2 because whilst it is easy when you know what to do someone needs to tell you how when it doesn’t work first time. Switching WiFi networks around a couple of times – not in the manual, not intuitive unless you’ve gone through the pain before. Changing phones – never would have thought of that. Drayton support were good, 4 stars. So overall a 4 I think.
Where to start. Well swapping over the controllers was an absolute doddle, and the smart room thermostat did all the work itself. It all seemed so simple. And then the problem hit. Trying to connect the controller / hub to my WiFi. So many times it said it connected but then the app couldn’t find it, red lights flashing, green lights flashing. It nearly went back in the box and to the UPS returns point. However I swapped some emails with Drayton Support and they suggested I try a different phone to the Huawei P30 I had been using. I tried an old Samsung S7. This time during the connection the setup light went solid red so I contemplated an unopened bottle of whisky. As I contemplated for about 10 minutes, the light went solid green. The app still wouldn’t connect. I had set the guest wifi to 2.4GHz having previous experience of smart things. Eventually in despair with thoughts of a hefty hammer I changed the 2.4 GHz WiFi back to 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz auto. Closed the app, restarted. At first it still refused to register / find the hub. And then a miracle – it found the hub after a few tries. It all works now. Only 6 hours later.
So the secret to not spending 6 hours. Set your guest WiFi to 2.4 GHz. Run through the connection routine as far as the register page and remote control. At this stage you are directly connected to the hub on a temporary network. On your phone “forget” the passwords to your home WiFi networks or your phone may switch networks when it shouldn’t. At the end of setup, tell the hub the name and password of your guest WiFi. It should turn solid red. Make sure the hub setup light changes to solid green – can take 10 minutes. At that point, change your Guest WiFi back to 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz auto. Give it a few minutes to settle. Connect your phone to the guest WiFi. Complete the registration and click to remote connect. You may need to try a couple of times. If not return to the register screen, skip, logout, restart the app, try again. Perseverance seems to be required. Put your hammer and bottle of spirits away, relax with a nice cup of tea. You can now reconnect to your main WiFi and test whether the hub can be controlled from a different WiFi. Test with mobile WiFi too. Drayton support come back quickly if you need them but hopefully my experience will help you complete the process a lot quicker.
Once set up you can control both central heating and hot water remotely from your phone. On that basis I would give the product 5 stars but the setup instructions only 2 because whilst it is easy when you know what to do someone needs to tell you how when it doesn’t work first time. Switching WiFi networks around a couple of times – not in the manual, not intuitive unless you’ve gone through the pain before. Changing phones – never would have thought of that. Drayton support were good, 4 stars. So overall a 4 I think.
Where to start. Well swapping over the controllers was an absolute doddle, and the smart room thermostat did all the work itself. It all seemed so simple. And then the problem hit. Trying to connect the controller / hub to my WiFi. So many times it said it connected but then the app couldn’t find it, red lights flashing, green lights flashing. It nearly went back in the box and to the UPS returns point. However I swapped some emails with Drayton Support and they suggested I try a different phone to the Huawei P30 I had been using. I tried an old Samsung S7. This time during the connection the setup light went solid red so I contemplated an unopened bottle of whisky. As I contemplated for about 10 minutes, the light went solid green. The app still wouldn’t connect. I had set the guest wifi to 2.4GHz having previous experience of smart things. Eventually in despair with thoughts of a hefty hammer I changed the 2.4 GHz WiFi back to 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz auto. Closed the app, restarted. At first it still refused to register / find the hub. And then a miracle – it found the hub after a few tries. It all works now. Only 6 hours later.
So the secret to not spending 6 hours. Set your guest WiFi to 2.4 GHz. Run through the connection routine as far as the register page and remote control. At this stage you are directly connected to the hub on a temporary network. On your phone “forget” the passwords to your home WiFi networks or your phone may switch networks when it shouldn’t. At the end of setup, tell the hub the name and password of your guest WiFi. It should turn solid red. Make sure the hub setup light changes to solid green – can take 10 minutes. At that point, change your Guest WiFi back to 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz auto. Give it a few minutes to settle. Connect your phone to the guest WiFi. Complete the registration and click to remote connect. You may need to try a couple of times. If not return to the register screen, skip, logout, restart the app, try again. Perseverance seems to be required. Put your hammer and bottle of spirits away, relax with a nice cup of tea. You can now reconnect to your main WiFi and test whether the hub can be controlled from a different WiFi. Test with mobile WiFi too. Drayton support come back quickly if you need them but hopefully my experience will help you complete the process a lot quicker.
Once set up you can control both central heating and hot water remotely from your phone. On that basis I would give the product 5 stars but the setup instructions only 2 because whilst it is easy when you know what to do someone needs to tell you how when it doesn’t work first time. Switching WiFi networks around a couple of times – not in the manual, not intuitive unless you’ve gone through the pain before. Changing phones – never would have thought of that. Drayton support were good, 4 stars. So overall a 4 I think.
The basic functions of this thermostat are good and most will be happy with them as they are out of the box. I was however looking for a system I could integrate into the home automation system Home Assistant. Many systems claim to be able to do this but they are via web links meaning that if your internet connection goes down you loose the link. Some systems I was shocked to find even require the internet for basic on/off schedules that you have programmed.
This system allows you to programme temperature and time profiles for each thermostat and then even if the internet goes down they work. Even better, someone has written an integration for Home Assistant that also doesn’t need internet connection.
So far been very pleased with how it works, and my wife is happy that she now has an easy way to boost the house temperature when she’s cold.
It is the best kit on the market for home smart heating. Fairly easy to install but VERY important to change your home WiFi ssid settings, so that the hub AND the phone that you are using it with are both on the 2.4ghz channel.
Fairly easy to do with a quick bit of googling. Mine connected OK first time automatically, but second time, I was ready to smash it with a hammer.
As soon as I’d renamed the network AND connected phone to 2.4 channel, it was fine
Drayton WiFi TRV easily fitted to existing TRV mounts. Although the backplate to the Drayton hub is universal it didn’t fit directly to the backplate of my existing Honeywell controller (althoug hteh electrical connections were identical) -the Honeywell backplate to my controller stretches to the entire length of the controller). Pairing of the hubs was reasonably easy, but make sure you have the latest Wiser app. I did view the Wiser installation videos prior to installing the equipment, which were very helpful and informative. Linking to my broadband hub was easy but the Alexa link was not particularly intuitive -but i hadn’t used Alexa before so perhaps it was me rather than the link.
Once the system was insatalled it took me a little while to determine the best temperature settings, but it’s great being able to maintain a specific temperature to all rooms at their individual settings. Overall I’m very pleased with the system, which compares favourably with other similar systems.
I got this as a Black Friday deal last year, and am incredibly impressed by how this has improved my central heating control. The house has 8 radiators – each of which now has a Drayton Wiser room thermostat (where I bought 6 more in addition to the two that come in this package) – with the room thermostat in the lounge.
I’ve noticed that the temperature in each room is a lot more stable than before – and the boiler fires up a lot less too – which should hopefully save me quite a lot on my gas bill! And the house has been lovely and warm during the recent cold snap, where the outside temperatures have averaged around -5C for a week or so.
Best of all, there is an integration available for Home Assistant – this is an open-source home automation system that I run on a Raspberry Pi 4. So I can control all my Wiser thermostats from within Home Assistant – as well as keeping track of signal strength and battery levels for each thermostat – and graphing the temperature in each room over time in Grafana.
So, to summarise, an excellent system, and fantastic value for money to boot!
I got this as a Black Friday deal last year, and am incredibly impressed by how this has improved my central heating control. The house has 8 radiators – each of which now has a Drayton Wiser room thermostat (where I bought 6 more in addition to the two that come in this package) – with the room thermostat in the lounge.
I’ve noticed that the temperature in each room is a lot more stable than before – and the boiler fires up a lot less too – which should hopefully save me quite a lot on my gas bill! And the house has been lovely and warm during the recent cold snap, where the outside temperatures have averaged around -5C for a week or so.
Best of all, there is an integration available for Home Assistant – this is an open-source home automation system that I run on a Raspberry Pi 4. So I can control all my Wiser thermostats from within Home Assistant – as well as keeping track of signal strength and battery levels for each thermostat – and graphing the temperature in each room over time in Grafana.
So, to summarise, an excellent system, and fantastic value for money to boot!
I got this as a Black Friday deal last year, and am incredibly impressed by how this has improved my central heating control. The house has 8 radiators – each of which now has a Drayton Wiser room thermostat (where I bought 6 more in addition to the two that come in this package) – with the room thermostat in the lounge.
I’ve noticed that the temperature in each room is a lot more stable than before – and the boiler fires up a lot less too – which should hopefully save me quite a lot on my gas bill! And the house has been lovely and warm during the recent cold snap, where the outside temperatures have averaged around -5C for a week or so.
Best of all, there is an integration available for Home Assistant – this is an open-source home automation system that I run on a Raspberry Pi 4. So I can control all my Wiser thermostats from within Home Assistant – as well as keeping track of signal strength and battery levels for each thermostat – and graphing the temperature in each room over time in Grafana.
So, to summarise, an excellent system, and fantastic value for money to boot!
I got this as a Black Friday deal last year, and am incredibly impressed by how this has improved my central heating control. The house has 8 radiators – each of which now has a Drayton Wiser room thermostat (where I bought 6 more in addition to the two that come in this package) – with the room thermostat in the lounge.
I’ve noticed that the temperature in each room is a lot more stable than before – and the boiler fires up a lot less too – which should hopefully save me quite a lot on my gas bill! And the house has been lovely and warm during the recent cold snap, where the outside temperatures have averaged around -5C for a week or so.
Best of all, there is an integration available for Home Assistant – this is an open-source home automation system that I run on a Raspberry Pi 4. So I can control all my Wiser thermostats from within Home Assistant – as well as keeping track of signal strength and battery levels for each thermostat – and graphing the temperature in each room over time in Grafana.
So, to summarise, an excellent system, and fantastic value for money to boot!
This is a great controller and really does represent a major upgrade to an aging heating system. I used it to replace my existing Drayton controller and it was almost a direct plug in replacement. A cautionary note – the installation instructions require that any existing room thermostat is disconnected – regrettably, having complied with this instruction the heating system failed to function. The controller behaved exactly as it should but it would not fire up the boiler or cycle the motorised valve (over a 24 hour period). I tried various ways to correct this before reconnecting the original thermostat and setting it to maximum when everything functioned. I suspect this was an anomaly with the original wiring and no fault of the controller. I’m very happy with the product now.
I bought this on a Black Friday whim when it was a crazily low price, and that’s a big reason for my score. It’s easy to forget once you’ve installed it, which is great in that it hasn’t caused us any problems – but, I question just how useful it really is compared with a modern wireless thermostat like the one it replaced unless you fully invest in smart radiator valves too.
If you have an existing standard control panel backplate, installation is incredibly simple – one of the key reasons to buy this over something like Nest which would’ve involved very complicated wiring changes, particularly in a multi zone house like mine.
The ability to ask Google Home to warm up a zone is great – though again I wonder whether this just encourages laziness when I could get off the sofa and press a button instead.
Super simple to activate away mode, even if you forget before you leave home, easily switching off the heating until you return and saving energy costs. Doing this via the app remotely is great (and easier than having to go into the boiler cupboard) but it lacks a calendar function to set when it should come back on (e.g. a few hours before returning home), which my old thermostat did have.
The mysterious eco mode is also apparently saving many hours of energy use according to the app, but I have absolutely no idea how it’s determining when / how to do this, so some simpler info in the app would be great. Time will tell whether this is really reducing energy costs.
The app itself isn’t the prettiest, and there are times it feels unintuitive – but it generally gets the job done. There’s a novelty element to it to start with, but after a few months I now tend to just use the thermostat controls, or Google Assistant.
But the key thing I’ve realised is that, dependant on property layout, the truly smart solution would be to warm up the house room by room – and in my case this would mean spending quadruple the price on radiator valves too. This is a cost I simply couldn’t justify based on convenience alone, and I doubt the energy savings would be significant enough to warrant the extra investment either.
In summary, a good purchase if you can find it at the right price, but be well aware of its limitations and whether it’s worth it compared with what you already have.
After many months of research, I settled on Wiser because it seems more specifically designed for traditional British DCH and HW systems. I fitted the system in half a day, replacing the old wiring centre with a 16-way Drayton unit (recommended), and adding the controller in place of the four(!) time clocks and two wired thermostats that controlled the old system. I connected the controller to the wiring centre with a length of 5-core cable from Wickes, and added two extender plugs from Amazon and nine radiator valves from an Independent plumbers merchant. The install was straightforward, although the instructions could be clearer for DIY installers. Allow extra time to make sure you understand everything before you start removing the old system. All the items paired perfectly and provide exact control of every room individually, minute-by-minute, for each day of the week. A massive step forward from what we had before. Since installing I asked one question to Drayton’s tech support, which was answered quickly and helpfully. Highly recommended.
Very happy with this, but I’m not using it with the radiator valves, so that’s probably why. Replaced a basic programmable timer and Sunvic radio-based thermostat controller – and that change has been great. A thermostat that can now be anywhere in the house instead of needing to be close to the boiler, fine-grained temperature controls and a level of intelligence in ECO mode, multiple temperature settings per day (instead of one) and convenient app control have meant that we now have much more stable and comfortable temperatures in the house. I tend to use the app more to change the temperature than the thermostat unit, and the app graphs are a nice touch. Would recommend as a controller upgrade without the radiator valves. Problem free, haven’t needed any tech support.
This is just first impressions in terms of a diy-er installing the smart hub, two roomstats and a couple of smart plugs.
The actual upgrade of the controller to a smart hub was very easy. The backplate had to be changed but the instructions were easy to follow as I had the wiring diag of the old controller. That probably took less than 30 minutes after which I could use my central heating and hot water via the boost buttons. Pairing of the roomstats was also fairly straighforward.
What was extremely difficult was connecting to the cloud. The app is buggy and idiosyncratic and I was getting repeated failures. There is nothing on line or via the app to help.
Tech support though were superb. I twice got through on the phone straight away – and on a Saturday.
Eventually they resolved the issue and it was extremely complex to diagnose.
1) I have a 5g mesh network but the hub only works at 2.4g.
2) It doesn’t like vpn so that had to be disabled.
3) There were issues with randomly losing the wifi connection to the hub – it was resolved by putting in some smart plugs to boost the internal signal from the hub but there was no way of knowing in advance whether that would cure the problem as there was no indication of signal strength through the house
So bottom line on the hub install is, Tech Support was the saviour and I needed smart plugs.
TRVs, once installed seem fine – just a little too easy to upset the smart install process when physically installing the valves on the rad (just dont turn the top of the TRV by accident as you do it as it seemed to switch to another function.
Overall though I’ve got a pretty good smart heating system with no installation cost 🙂
After hours of research I had actually ordered Tado as they had apple HomeKit integration.
Luckily for me Tado sent half my items and then cancelled my order and mentioned Brexit.
Customer support was terrible I still don’t have refunds after two weeks. Never again!
Here is my research conclusion.
Tado: poor support and now charge monthly for auto away mode.
Hive: have really poor radiator control reviews.
Nest: don’t have radiator controls.
Then I discovered Drayton it has good has radiator controls that work and is cheaper.
So I ordered the conventional boiler kit and 4 radiator controls.
I needed accurate control in the lounge so I placed two radiator valves and the thermostat here.
I don’t believe in hallway thermostats, who sits in the hall.
I needed a week time schedule for the bedrooms we use as offices so placed two radiator controls there.
I left the remaining radiators on TRVs.
I removed my previous thermostat and controller which was wired to a backplate in the airing cupboard. Checked the wires were correct and clipped in the new hub to the backplate.
I had previously watched Drayton install videos which makes things clear.
It has two over ride buttons so you can test it ,turning the CH and HW on and off to confirm the wiring.
Next load the app and follow its instructions pretty simple.
The method is roughly like this.
1 connect to the hubs hot spot and put in on your WiFi code
2 add the controls one by one and put them in rooms
3 configure your schedule for each room.
The TRVs just replaced the tops of my old Honeywell TRVs. Just ensure they are tight enough.
It’s been running for two weeks now.
The lounge which is controlled via a thermostat and two radiator controls heats up quick and holds its temperature steady. We also have a stove so when that’s on the hub doesn’t call for heat as it’s warm enough-just the job.
The two offices upstairs are only used in the day in the week and one only part time. I was suspicious that the controls would give me an accurate temperature. The radiator controls do a really great job.
Warm up quickly and the temp is pretty good. I checked with another thermometer.
I now have room by room schedules which was impossible before.
The app is great nice and clear nothing to complain about.
Alexa integration works well too.
Well done Drayton.
Very simple set up and app is easy to use, only drawback for me is that the new Wiser thermostat unit does not replace the old thermostat as its a battery powered movable unit makes for easy instal and portability but you have to keep the old thermostat on the wall or remove and make the wiring safe plaster or patch over / redecorate, would be great to have a version powered from the mains like the Nest/Hive etc. to replace original.
Ran into a few problems with the installation of the Hub. I have no experience of wiring and my original Controller did not have a back plate as shown in the Wiser instructions. But on phoning Drayton Wiser one of their experts sorted it for me while I was on the phone. Their support is quick in answering your call and really the best call centre I have ever encounted. The system was up and running in half an hour and I have since purchased and added Thermostats to all my radiators. The control the system gives you over your heating costs and the ease of control is great. No more getting up and altering Trv’s I now get more heat where is needed for less money.
Having already set up the Drayton Wiser Smart boiler control hub with just the thermometer I was interested to see how well the thermostats worked.
Initially I had issues in fitting to existing old TRVs which necessitated buying separate 3rd party adaptors. But after that it was literally a 2 min job per radiator to register and set up the valve. Very simple and easy with clear instructions and guidance through the mobile app.
I can also recommend these based on the excellent tech support service which Drayton provide that answered a phone query regarding the hub immediately without being placed in a long queue.
The system allows for each thermostat to be controlled with separate daily schedules which means that each room can be tailored to our needs, and avoid wasting energy. They are also quiet, and unobtrusive.
I haven’t had them long enough to review battery usage though
Having already set up the Drayton Wiser Smart boiler control hub with just the thermometer I was interested to see how well the thermostats worked.
Initially I had issues in fitting to existing old TRVs which necessitated buying separate 3rd party adaptors. But after that it was literally a 2 min job per radiator to register and set up the valve. Very simple and easy with clear instructions and guidance through the mobile app.
I can also recommend these based on the excellent tech support service which Drayton provide that answered a phone query regarding the hub immediately without being placed in a long queue.
The system allows for each thermostat to be controlled with separate daily schedules which means that each room can be tailored to our needs, and avoid wasting energy. They are also quiet, and unobtrusive.
I haven’t had them long enough to review battery usage though
It took me a while to get it working with help from the support team. The thermostatic valves had trouble with my old TRVs – the internal motor was plenty powerful enough to open and close the valve but not enough to actually operate it in normal use. It took a lot of fiddling to get some of them working. However it is worth the effort the house is comfortable but I am not heating rooms I don’t need so I guess it saves money. It is nice to be able to tell Alexa to control room heating if say the room is set to turn off but you decide to stay up to watch a film. Or tell Alexa to turn the bedroom radiator on if you decide to get up before the bedroom rad is set to come on.
It took me a while to get it working with help from the support team. The thermostatic valves had trouble with my old TRVs – the internal motor was plenty powerful enough to open and close the valve but not enough to actually operate it in normal use. It took a lot of fiddling to get some of them working. However it is worth the effort the house is comfortable but I am not heating rooms I don’t need so I guess it saves money. It is nice to be able to tell Alexa to control room heating if say the room is set to turn off but you decide to stay up to watch a film. Or tell Alexa to turn the bedroom radiator on if you decide to get up before the bedroom rad is set to come on.
Super easy installation, just be sure to read through the manual before you start.
I was replacing a Drayton timer and room stat with this system, plus I had Pegler TRVs which the Drayton Wiser ones drop right on to. I left the old room stat in place just at max temp as I didn’t want to mess with the boiler wiring plate.
I’ve added a smart plug and range extender to ensure the whole house is covered. Just need to order ten more TRVs now when the prices drop!
Only bug for me is it doesn’t yet work with Hubitat smart hub so automatic away mode is tricky for now (only through IFTTT).
I installed the hub over a 3 channel system and never had to look at it again. Instructions are straight forward to install the hub.
Added the smart trv to the radiators that are least or never used. I had an issue with one trv and it was replaced by their return policy.
The app had numerous updates and works fine. Works flawlessly with google home using the command “raise the temperature” or “turn on the hot water”. Scheduling through the app is quick and responsive. Just be aware by default everytime hardware is added to the app it automatically adds a schedule which you need to delete or your system turns on.
The support team are fab too. Happy with my purchase alone just for the customer care.
Very convenient system and will recommend to friends
I installed the hub over a 3 channel system and never had to look at it again. Instructions are straight forward to install the hub.
Added the smart trv to the radiators that are least or never used. I had an issue with one trv and it was replaced by their return policy.
The app had numerous updates and works fine. Works flawlessly with google home using the command “raise the temperature” or “turn on the hot water”. Scheduling through the app is quick and responsive. Just be aware by default everytime hardware is added to the app it automatically adds a schedule which you need to delete or your system turns on.
The support team are fab too. Happy with my purchase alone just for the customer care.
Very convenient system and will recommend to friends
I installed the hub over a 3 channel system and never had to look at it again. Instructions are straight forward to install the hub.
Added the smart trv to the radiators that are least or never used. I had an issue with one trv and it was replaced by their return policy.
The app had numerous updates and works fine. Works flawlessly with google home using the command “raise the temperature” or “turn on the hot water”. Scheduling through the app is quick and responsive. Just be aware by default everytime hardware is added to the app it automatically adds a schedule which you need to delete or your system turns on.
The support team are fab too. Happy with my purchase alone just for the customer care.
Very convenient system and will recommend to friends
I installed the hub over a 3 channel system and never had to look at it again. Instructions are straight forward to install the hub.
Added the smart trv to the radiators that are least or never used. I had an issue with one trv and it was replaced by their return policy.
The app had numerous updates and works fine. Works flawlessly with google home using the command “raise the temperature” or “turn on the hot water”. Scheduling through the app is quick and responsive. Just be aware by default everytime hardware is added to the app it automatically adds a schedule which you need to delete or your system turns on.
The support team are fab too. Happy with my purchase alone just for the customer care.
Very convenient system and will recommend to friends
After 13 years we have a thermostat controlled oil heating system thanks to Drayton. Having previously owned houses that were built with thermostats wired in, I had forgotten how effective these can be. Leap-frogging over the lack of wiring has been accomplished using this smart Wi-Fi device setup. So, you need the controller on the wall that replaces whatever timer device you have been using. This links via your Wi-Fi router to your thermostat which sits in your room. The water pump can now continue to pump water that circulates but the boiler fire system only uses oil at the rate it needs to maintain the temperature you set using your thermostat. This temperature control can be modulated via the Wiser app on your iPhone or Android device or Amazon Alexa. More than one person can have the app on your phone controlling the boiler over the internet via your Wi-Fi router. If the internet fails, your heating will not because the Wiser system simply uses your router whether or not it is connected to the internet. Our internet failed across the country (Ireland) after I installed the device but our system heating kept going and was connecting perfectly throughout the 4 hour outage. I had read where another user had praised Drayton for this ability to directly connect to the controller. Of course you still have an override button on the wall controller. So, finally you will need a 2.4ghz router to make this work. If you have a modern 5ghz (5G) router you will need a bit of help in the form of a bolt on additional 2.4ghz router. This is simple to set up and will enable all Alexa devices to work such as smart sockets or bulbs. I highly recommend the ASUS router which sends out both 2.4 and 5ghz signals and allows VPN to be added as Smartvpn —Amazon sells this! Anyway we love our Drayton system- our boiler central heating is oil fired and single circuit. The heated water always travels around the water immersion heater and around the radiators. Dual circuit systems have separate control for water heating-simples!-enjoy!
After 13 years we have a thermostat controlled oil heating system thanks to Drayton. Having previously owned houses that were built with thermostats wired in, I had forgotten how effective these can be. Leap-frogging over the lack of wiring has been accomplished using this smart Wi-Fi device setup. So, you need the controller on the wall that replaces whatever timer device you have been using. This links via your Wi-Fi router to your thermostat which sits in your room. The water pump can now continue to pump water that circulates but the boiler fire system only uses oil at the rate it needs to maintain the temperature you set using your thermostat. This temperature control can be modulated via the Wiser app on your iPhone or Android device or Amazon Alexa. More than one person can have the app on your phone controlling the boiler over the internet via your Wi-Fi router. If the internet fails, your heating will not because the Wiser system simply uses your router whether or not it is connected to the internet. Our internet failed across the country (Ireland) after I installed the device but our system heating kept going and was connecting perfectly throughout the 4 hour outage. I had read where another user had praised Drayton for this ability to directly connect to the controller. Of course you still have an override button on the wall controller. So, finally you will need a 2.4ghz router to make this work. If you have a modern 5ghz (5G) router you will need a bit of help in the form of a bolt on additional 2.4ghz router. This is simple to set up and will enable all Alexa devices to work such as smart sockets or bulbs. I highly recommend the ASUS router which sends out both 2.4 and 5ghz signals and allows VPN to be added as Smartvpn —Amazon sells this! Anyway we love our Drayton system- our boiler central heating is oil fired and single circuit. The heated water always travels around the water immersion heater and around the radiators. Dual circuit systems have separate control for water heating-simples!-enjoy!
Firstly, don’t listen to the negatives, they’re clearly from rival brands or people who didn’t quite understand the installation.
Replacing the old thermostat with the new one was a breeze! It took less than 5 minutes. 4 screws.. The wires were already in the right order, so it was a quick swap from the old back plate to the new one. (Requires a screwdriver)
The installation of the android app and linking up the hub was done in 2-3 minutes. It was straight forward and the instructions were displayed on screen.
Installing the radiator valves was really quick. I was dreading doing this because although I’d class myself as a bit of a geek, I’ve never played with radiators before. But it was as simple as unscrewing an old valve and replacing it with a new one..
I’ve seen a few people moaning about the app, saying it was impossible to use.. well I’m confused because it’s just as good as any other smart app. It’s just like smart life with extra heating options.
All in all it’s brilliant and if anyone gets stuck installing it, give us a shout.. Everything you need is in the box aside from a screwdriver, but who doesn’t own a screwdriver?
Make sure you turn off the power to the boiler before doing anything!
**10/10**
Firstly, don’t listen to the negatives, they’re clearly from rival brands or people who didn’t quite understand the installation.
Replacing the old thermostat with the new one was a breeze! It took less than 5 minutes. 4 screws.. The wires were already in the right order, so it was a quick swap from the old back plate to the new one. (Requires a screwdriver)
The installation of the android app and linking up the hub was done in 2-3 minutes. It was straight forward and the instructions were displayed on screen.
Installing the radiator valves was really quick. I was dreading doing this because although I’d class myself as a bit of a geek, I’ve never played with radiators before. But it was as simple as unscrewing an old valve and replacing it with a new one..
I’ve seen a few people moaning about the app, saying it was impossible to use.. well I’m confused because it’s just as good as any other smart app. It’s just like smart life with extra heating options.
All in all it’s brilliant and if anyone gets stuck installing it, give us a shout.. Everything you need is in the box aside from a screwdriver, but who doesn’t own a screwdriver?
Make sure you turn off the power to the boiler before doing anything!
**10/10**
Firstly, don’t listen to the negatives, they’re clearly from rival brands or people who didn’t quite understand the installation.
Replacing the old thermostat with the new one was a breeze! It took less than 5 minutes. 4 screws.. The wires were already in the right order, so it was a quick swap from the old back plate to the new one. (Requires a screwdriver)
The installation of the android app and linking up the hub was done in 2-3 minutes. It was straight forward and the instructions were displayed on screen.
Installing the radiator valves was really quick. I was dreading doing this because although I’d class myself as a bit of a geek, I’ve never played with radiators before. But it was as simple as unscrewing an old valve and replacing it with a new one..
I’ve seen a few people moaning about the app, saying it was impossible to use.. well I’m confused because it’s just as good as any other smart app. It’s just like smart life with extra heating options.
All in all it’s brilliant and if anyone gets stuck installing it, give us a shout.. Everything you need is in the box aside from a screwdriver, but who doesn’t own a screwdriver?
Make sure you turn off the power to the boiler before doing anything!
**10/10**
Firstly, don’t listen to the negatives, they’re clearly from rival brands or people who didn’t quite understand the installation.
Replacing the old thermostat with the new one was a breeze! It took less than 5 minutes. 4 screws.. The wires were already in the right order, so it was a quick swap from the old back plate to the new one. (Requires a screwdriver)
The installation of the android app and linking up the hub was done in 2-3 minutes. It was straight forward and the instructions were displayed on screen.
Installing the radiator valves was really quick. I was dreading doing this because although I’d class myself as a bit of a geek, I’ve never played with radiators before. But it was as simple as unscrewing an old valve and replacing it with a new one..
I’ve seen a few people moaning about the app, saying it was impossible to use.. well I’m confused because it’s just as good as any other smart app. It’s just like smart life with extra heating options.
All in all it’s brilliant and if anyone gets stuck installing it, give us a shout.. Everything you need is in the box aside from a screwdriver, but who doesn’t own a screwdriver?
Make sure you turn off the power to the boiler before doing anything!
**10/10**
I had installed a Drayton Wiser heating hub controller into my home with wireless radiator thermostats but one thermostat kept on dropping out of the App due to its location in distance away from the hub. I therefore knew I needed this range extender to solve the problem and it did no more loosing signal from that radiator thermostat. Bonus is this range extender also operates as a smart plug so it can be switched on and off via a button on the top of the unit or via the App either manually or timed settings so when a lamp is plugged into the smart plug it can be programmed to come on/off at set times to act as a burglar deterrent. I will be buying more in the future.
After purchasing the Drayton Wiser Heat Hub with 2 room thermostats, I purchased 8 of these radiator thermostatic valves to add more control to my heating system. I have only installed these on the radiators in rooms that we spend time in such as living room, kitchen and bedrooms etc any other room that we pass through like hallways and corridors have the manual thermostats fitted. One tip if you remove one of these thermostatic valves after installation remove the batteries and refit them prior to refitting thermostatic valve back onto radiator, it backs off the plunger inside the thermostatic valve that pushes down on the radiator valve so makes it easy to fit. Otherwise you are trying to depress the rod on the radiator making it difficult to refit the thermostatic valve, I found this out. I find that I can’t get the valve to stay tight on the black locking ring, which is why I removed the thermostatic valve, I might have to superglue the black ring to the thermostatic valve body to stop it from turning when I operate the valve when in situ on the radiator. It does make a little noise when it operates but nothing too loud or distracting.
After purchasing the Drayton Wiser Heat Hub with 2 room thermostats, I purchased 8 of these radiator thermostatic valves to add more control to my heating system. I have only installed these on the radiators in rooms that we spend time in such as living room, kitchen and bedrooms etc any other room that we pass through like hallways and corridors have the manual thermostats fitted. One tip if you remove one of these thermostatic valves after installation remove the batteries and refit them prior to refitting thermostatic valve back onto radiator, it backs off the plunger inside the thermostatic valve that pushes down on the radiator valve so makes it easy to fit. Otherwise you are trying to depress the rod on the radiator making it difficult to refit the thermostatic valve, I found this out. I find that I can’t get the valve to stay tight on the black locking ring, which is why I removed the thermostatic valve, I might have to superglue the black ring to the thermostatic valve body to stop it from turning when I operate the valve when in situ on the radiator. It does make a little noise when it operates but nothing too loud or distracting.
After purchasing the Drayton Wiser Heat Hub with 2 room thermostats, I purchased 8 of these radiator thermostatic valves to add more control to my heating system. I have only installed these on the radiators in rooms that we spend time in such as living room, kitchen and bedrooms etc any other room that we pass through like hallways and corridors have the manual thermostats fitted. One tip if you remove one of these thermostatic valves after installation remove the batteries and refit them prior to refitting thermostatic valve back onto radiator, it backs off the plunger inside the thermostatic valve that pushes down on the radiator valve so makes it easy to fit. Otherwise you are trying to depress the rod on the radiator making it difficult to refit the thermostatic valve, I found this out. I find that I can’t get the valve to stay tight on the black locking ring, which is why I removed the thermostatic valve, I might have to superglue the black ring to the thermostatic valve body to stop it from turning when I operate the valve when in situ on the radiator. It does make a little noise when it operates but nothing too loud or distracting.
After purchasing the Drayton Wiser Heat Hub with 2 room thermostats, I purchased 8 of these radiator thermostatic valves to add more control to my heating system. I have only installed these on the radiators in rooms that we spend time in such as living room, kitchen and bedrooms etc any other room that we pass through like hallways and corridors have the manual thermostats fitted. One tip if you remove one of these thermostatic valves after installation remove the batteries and refit them prior to refitting thermostatic valve back onto radiator, it backs off the plunger inside the thermostatic valve that pushes down on the radiator valve so makes it easy to fit. Otherwise you are trying to depress the rod on the radiator making it difficult to refit the thermostatic valve, I found this out. I find that I can’t get the valve to stay tight on the black locking ring, which is why I removed the thermostatic valve, I might have to superglue the black ring to the thermostatic valve body to stop it from turning when I operate the valve when in situ on the radiator. It does make a little noise when it operates but nothing too loud or distracting.
I have Drayton Wiser system for more than a year, and I love it, I can thank it enough for the comfort it added to my life. I have done another review of the entire system.
For the thermostat, I think they are essential for comfort. Each bedroom has one, and I think this is how it should be!
The automated radiator heads from this system are great, but they are not precise with the temperature. Of course, they are 2 cm from the actual heat source. It is impossible to be precise. It is like trying to measure your kitchen temp with a thermometer inside a heated oven.
I placed those 2m from the radiator, and when you add it in the system and select the room, the system knows that from now on it will use this thermostat temp instead of the radiator head. And oh boy, it does make a difference. The temp control is far more stable and smooth. No more getting too cold or too hot. If you set 21C, it will be 21C all the time.
The thermostat itself is not the best piece of hardware; it is sometimes slow; there is no visibility of the temp without clicking on it and has minimum functionality for the price. It is only to change the temperature or give a boost. Nothing more! For the price, it should offer more, in my opinion.
So, I do recommend this piece, as it makes the system as good as it can be and definitively adds a lot of comfort to the room that it is located.
I have Drayton Wiser system for more than a year, and I love it, I can thank it enough for the comfort it added to my life. I have done another review of the entire system.
For the thermostat, I think they are essential for comfort. Each bedroom has one, and I think this is how it should be!
The automated radiator heads from this system are great, but they are not precise with the temperature. Of course, they are 2 cm from the actual heat source. It is impossible to be precise. It is like trying to measure your kitchen temp with a thermometer inside a heated oven.
I placed those 2m from the radiator, and when you add it in the system and select the room, the system knows that from now on it will use this thermostat temp instead of the radiator head. And oh boy, it does make a difference. The temp control is far more stable and smooth. No more getting too cold or too hot. If you set 21C, it will be 21C all the time.
The thermostat itself is not the best piece of hardware; it is sometimes slow; there is no visibility of the temp without clicking on it and has minimum functionality for the price. It is only to change the temperature or give a boost. Nothing more! For the price, it should offer more, in my opinion.
So, I do recommend this piece, as it makes the system as good as it can be and definitively adds a lot of comfort to the room that it is located.
Multi-zone without reinstalling your entire heating system! Trigger to install was my existing, rather old, timer and wireless thermostat packing up and having shopped around for a while.
While not as comprehensive a system as others, it is extremely simple to setup, particularly if you already have a Drayton timer unit – it’s just a matter of swapping the existing timer for the hub (took me literally 2 minutes with a screwdriver) and then setting up the app and thermostat (a further 5 minutes following the relatively idiot proof guide) – I am far from an electrician – making it significantly cheaper to get up as you remove the 120+ installation. The most complicated bit was working out how the thermostat stand clipped into the unit. Added bonus of a system made in the UK. You can then scale the system with the smart TRVs which I intend to do over time to spread the cost and/or chase special offers. I’ve not had any issues with the app or connectivity that some people report, I understand the app has recently been significantly improved and my house (fairly standard sized 1900s 3-bed semi) isn’t really big enough to have problems that you might get with a larger house. I’ve not had it for long enough to measure cost savings but given that my old system was going haywire before I replaced it I probably won’t be able to measure it – key thing is being able to control the heating far better.
Negatives – doesn’t integrate with wider ecosystems (apple home / nest / hive etc) so that has to be traded off against the simplicity. Alexia does work but I mostly just use the app. App can take 30 seconds to load sometimes but that’s not really been a problem.
I took the plunge in to smart heating and considered the pros and cons of a few systems but this ticked all the boxes at a price that was affordable and I’m glad that I opted for the Drayton kit over the others. It was a breeze to install and configure through the app (I had an existing Drayton controller that I simply lifted off from the bracket and slotted the Wiser hub in its place). Although I have a small flat, for the first few weeks it couldn’t keep a consistent connection to my router which was situated only a few metres away behind a wall but I now believe it was an issue with the router as it became clear that my other smart devices were dropping off randomly – router was replaced and have enjoyed months without a single drop-out.
I love that it offers a comfort mode meaning that you set a room schedule and it learns how far in advance to begin heating to reach the desired temperature before the scheduled on time – I just set a schedule and forget about it – and I love that the bathroom is always cozy ready for my morning shower without having to remember to turn up the thermostat at night. Also a bonus that it has an eco mode so it learns when to stop heating before the scheduled off time.
The valves themselves were simplicity itself to install and didn’t need the adapter for my radiators – simply unscrewed the existing TRV’s, screwed the Wiser ones in place and the app found each straight away, and they make very little noise. The app itself is great but it’s a faff setting it up for geofencing as you need to install 3rd-party apps to make it work and have Away Mode activated when you leave the house, but once set up I just forget about it. Alexa integration is good but could be better – I can use my voice to check and control the heat in individual rooms but have yet to find a way to have the heating off everywhere without manually turning on Away Mode in the app.
Overall though, I’d highly recommend this system for anyone considering a smart home heating system that can control heating per room and that doesn’t tie you in to a subscription for basic functions (like geofencing).